Prom Planning
by Anthy
Summary: [New!! Epilogue!!!] AU, Duo learns the downside of being junior class president the same day he is stuck in a triangle with his best friend. Not your average Prom fic!! Warning: shounen-ai, mild angst, and language. Complete!
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gundam Wing's characters, they're on loan. ^_^  
**Author's Note:** This was originally a line challenge that gone awry. Inserted lines are noted with an asterisk(*). Stumps Prom and Party is an actual company, their site and catalog (which is referenced throughout the series) can be found at www.stumpsprom.com. Why I have a prom catalog in my possession (the print version) is a long story.

**Prom Planning  
by Anthy**

Even though the sun shone brightly that snowy January afternoon, all Duo could see was red. He stomped angrily down the street, he feet made loud crunching noises on the newly formed snow. Grabbing his braid, he wraped it around his neck like a scarf, and he lowered his head as the wind picked up. He should have known today was going to be awful the moment his alarm clock woke him an hour late. As he rushed to catch the bus two blocks away, he had forgot his scarf, gloves and hat. Then it began to snow, and the bus had already turned the corner. Not only was it a Monday, but it was the first day back from a long three week winter break. The minute he had stepped into the archaic building Duo called his high school, he had been whisked to the principal's office. 

"H-h-h-hey! M-M-M-Mssss. Nnnnn!" Duo Maxwell exclaimed through chittering teeth. He bounded into the large room, leaving a long water trail behind him. "H-h-h-ow w-w-was y-your w-win-ter b-break? M-miste-rr N, g-get you anything sp-p-pecial, hmmm?" 

"Duo," Lucenzia Noin sighed as she turned from the window, "how many times have I told you Mr. Peacecraft does not approve of you calling him. . ." 

"W-w-hat? Can't a guy express himself, g-geez." he grinned as he sat on his frozen hands. For the past few months, he found delight in tormenting Ms. Noin's new husband, who also happened to be his physics teacher. "S-sorry I-I'm l-late," he said abruptly, "w-w-what d-did my dear prinicpal have in store for her favorite J-class prez today?" 

"May 5." Noin stated. She stood and walked over to her closet. Opening it she pulled out Zech's large coat, which she draped over the shaking teen's shoulders. She leaned against the desk as he stopped trembling. 

"So what is so important about that date," he said, finally feeling warm, "other than the fact it's Cinco de Mayo?" 

"That is when you have to have prom ready." 

"What!?" Duo nearly shouted as he gripped the jacket. "As in the senior prom?" 

"Juniors are invited too." she calmly noted. 

"I know. . . but, but why me?" he stammered. 

"It's the responsibility of the junior class to organize the prom, and as president you are in charge." 

"I know nothing about proms," Duo muttered. He slumped back into his chair and tried to hide in the massive jacket. "I've never been to one in my entire life." 

"Sorry, Duo." she sighed as she pushed the boy out of his seat and ushered him to the door. The bell rang loudly outside the hallway and Duo could hear the all to familiar din of students filing out of class. Missing homeroom seemed a small consolation to the hell he was living in. Taking the coat from him, Noin added, "You're pretty smart, you'll think of something." 

"F-fine," Duo shivered as the draft from the open door hit him. 

"Look, I already spoke to your vice-president and the cabinet has their monthly meeting this week so you can start from there. I know you can do this, I have faith in you." 

"At least someone does," he murmured as he stormed out into the already crowded hallway. Storming down the hall, he stopped at his best friend Heero's locker. Heero had his back turned from him as he rummaged through his eerily organized space. Duo stood behind him and placed the back of his hand to Heero's neck. With a move that didn't surprise Duo at all, Heero grabbed the book he was looking for before nonchalantly turning in Duo's direction. The slightly taller teen looked at Duo for a moment before setting the book back into his locker. 

"Your hands are cold." he said, sandwiching Duo's hands between his. 

"No shit sherlock." Duo snapped. "Today is just not my day." 

"You weren't in homeroom." 

"I was with Noin, that evil mega-beast of-a," Duo fumed. 

"Look, there's Relena, I've got to run." Heero said as he released Duo's hands. It was only then that Duo realized that his friend had been warming them. Pushing back confusing thoughts that raced through his head, Duo began to deposit his coat in the locker they sometimes shared. Feeling the sudden draft, Duo reached inside and threw on Heero's letter jacket. It was better insulated and it smelled like. . . 

"Coming over later?" Heero asked, already starting to walk away. 

"Yeah." Duo muttered as he threw his bookbag in the locker with a clang. He watched as Heero walked over to the blonde-haired girl and she immediately latched onto his arm. Duo turned to face the locker because he made no secret of his dislike for the girl. Duo rolled his eyes as he heard the chorus of "Awww" from Relena's clique. Ok, he was jealous that his best friend was dating the most popular girl in school. And sure, it wasn't the jealousy that one would think. 

_'Yes, I have a crush on my best friend,'_ he silently scolded himself, _'get over it! Don't be so surprised, Mr. Maxwell.' _

_'Stop being immature! Sulking gets you nowhere.'_ his mind snapped back. 

"I'm a big kid now*. " he retorted loudly, causing looks from the guy standing at the locker next to him. 

"Oh yeah? Then why ya arguing with yourself?" Duo froze as he realized he muttered the last two thoughts out loud. He turned to look at the guy at the locker next to him. The younger boy smiled and offered a sympathetic chuckle before closing his locker. The boy turned and walked down the hallway. 

Slamming his locker, Duo shouted, "Society doesn't like smartasses, you know?" The boy, looking lost, paused and walked back towards the lockers. 

"Today is just not my day." he murmured as he trudged forward. "This semester is going to be hell." 

************************************************************************************ 

Heero walked slowly down the hallway, all attention left on the brown-haired bundle of energy he had left at his locker. Relena still clung tightly to his arm, making him feel imprisoned as she chattered to the group of girls walking with her. He wasn't sure when or if she was talking to him, and for that matter he did not care. Visions of his best friend clicked through his mind, his pale face flushed from the outside weather. He thought back to the long thin fingers that made Heero feel warm even though when he had held them they were cold as ice. 

_'Stop it, Yuy. You are dating Relena, remember?'_ he scolded himself. _'You should be fantasizing of her, not him.'_

_'That's right, dating. It's not like she's your girlfriend or anything.'_ his mind snapped back, sounding like a badly done Duo impersonation. 

_'Says who?'_

_'You, dummy.'_

"Well I guess I'm the only one then, huh?" he said, and Relena turned to him in concern. 

"The only one what?" 

_'The only one who doesn't consider you as my girlfriend.'_ the inner voice tormented, and Heero shrugged as they continued to walk toward their next class. He didn't know why he kept dating her, sometimes she was fun to be around, and she was cute. But in comparison to Duo, she just couldn't compete. Oh, he had tried to end things, but each attempt was dashed. Relena needed him right now, her father had died last year in a plane accident and Heero was the only person that she considered family. 

She had a brother, but they weren't all that close considering the large age difference and the fact that they grew up in different homes. When she was three her parents had divorced, and they split the kids instead of split custody. Both parents were very successful and they were to give Relena and Milliardo whatever they wanted. Unlike her brother, she was a little spoiled, not accustomed to things not going her way. A year before her father's death she had lost her mother to cancer. She was devasted. When her father had passed, she had completely shut down. It was Heero who brought her back, and he knew that leaving her now would cause her to break down again. He knew because she told him almost everyday. 

"Heero?" Relena asked as she tugged hard on Heero's arm. "Why is Duo wearing your jacket?" 

Heero looked up to see Duo bouncing down the hallway. Sure enough, Heero could make out the "Yuy" on the back of the blue and black jacket. He couldn't help but grin as Duo dragged a well-dressed blonde male down the hallway, pointing at various classrooms. Heero recognized him as the new kid who had the locker next to his, and he wasn't surprised to how quick Duo befriended the boy. 

"He was cold." Heero casually answered. 

"Well, he has his own coat, doesn't he?" Relena retorted, pausing abruptly to stare at him. She gave a slight nod to her girlfriends, indicating that they should go ahead of her. 

"Unlike you," he hissed, "he can only afford clothes that could keep a man in Hawaii warm. If he had a decent jacket, he'd wear it. It's just a damn jacket, what's the big deal?" 

"It's just that," Relena started, "what I meant was. . . I don't know. What if I got cold?" 

"I'd walk with you to your locker so that you could get your coat." he said without thinking. Relena rolled her eyes as she leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Not very romantic, but it'll do for now." she relented as the continued to walk down the hallway. Relena continued to smile, but inside her mind began to throw ideas that she just couldn't push away. There was something about Heero's relationship with his friend that she just found odd. Her friends always hinted at it, but she always thought that they were joking. But when she saw them standing at his locker this morning, Duo's hands sandwiched between Heero's, she knew that there was something there, she just didn't know what "it" was. She just had to find out. 

********************************************************************** 

"Okie-dokie!" Duo sang as his stopped abruptly at two large double doors. "Sophomore PE is in there. Your next class is down the hall, take a right, then up the staircase, make another right, a left at the first door, and Mr. Noi-, er, Peacecraft should be at the front of the room. Any other questions?" 

"What is your name?" the blonde gasped as he tried to catch his breath. 

"Oh, Duo Maxwell, sorry about the whole locker thing this morning." Duo said as he patted the boy's back. The teen looked up at him and he frowned. 

"Maxwell? Isn't it Yuy?" 

"Nah," Duo guffawed as his face flushed slightly. "This is my best bud's jacket. You'll soon know him as the second best athlete this school has to offer. Not much on conversation, but he's cool." 

"Second?" he laughed. 

"Yah. And I'm not being mean or anything, it's a fact. For one he's a junior, and two there's Trowa. That senior is everywhere. He plays almost every damn sport this school's got to offer and he excels in all of them." Duo rambled as he leaned against the gym door. "A transfer like you, but he used to be a circus performer or something. Even choreographs stunts for the cheerleaders. Rumor has it that he was a clown. Seeing that guy smile, hoo, that's something I'd pay for. Man, this guy is about as readable as upside-down hieroglyphics." 

Duo made a move to leave when the door opened, propelling him forward. Before his face could make contact with the cold floor, a strong hand grabbed his arm and painlessly pulled him upright. 

"Speak of the devil!" Duo chirped. "I was just talking about you! Tro, this is Quatre R. Winner. Q, meet Trowa Barton." 

Quatre looked up at the tall teen and felt a blush grow to his cheeks. He couldn't help it, the guy was hot and he was staring right at him. One emerald green eye was visible, for half of his flawless face was covered by a thick bang. "Hi." he squeaked. 

"Hi." Trowa said, corners of his mouth forming a small smile. Their gazes locked, and neither said a word until Duo made a loud noise of revealation and began to walk away. 

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm late. Now, if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of a bad day before being politely interrupted. Nice to meet you, Q." Duo said as he leisurely strolled through the thinning crowd. 

"Well, I better go in." Quatre gushed as he slowly walked backwards into the gym door. It didn't open. 

"You have to pull to open it." Trowa informed, opening the other door. Quatre blushed and walked through. "Have a good day." 

_'Hope to see you soon.'_

************************************************************************* 

"Hey, Heero!" Duo yelled as he bounded into Heero's room. He was the computer, the keyboard making rhythmic sounds as Heero continued with his work. Duo threw off Heero's jacket and stretched out on the bed with a loud sigh. "I didn't see you after school." 

"Got a ride home with Relena." Heero said as he shrugged Duo's thin coat off his shoulders. "You didn't stop at my locker after class so I just took your coat." 

"I know, but I got detained by the mega-beast. A kind beast, but evil for what she's making me do." 

Heero continued to key as Duo relayed his meeting with Mrs. Noin. "I know nothing about proms, much less how to run one. I don't want it to suck, but I really wish someone else would do it. What should I do? And don't give me the usual, 'I have faith in you speech' because I've already heard it from her." 

"Stumps." 

"What?" Duo asked as he walked over to the computer. 

"It's a party company that specializes in events and proms." Heero informed as he pointed at the screen. Duo wrinkled his nose as he sidled over and sat on Heero's knee. 

"Prom planning, eh?" Duo quirked as he covered Heero's hand over the mouse and began to move it. "Hey! This place has even got an schedule. Let's see, it says that in December-" 

"Duo?" 

"Hmm." 

"Do I look like a chair to you?" 

"Yes. But not a good mouse." Duo joked as he slapped Heero's hand away. Heero shrugged in frustation and leaned back in the chair, using his free hands to play with Duo's braid. He personally didn't mind being this close to Duo. "Ok, it looks like Mrs. N took care of December already, the only thing she left out was selecting a prom commitee. No biggie, I can put the junior and senior cabinet to work plus few volunteers. You've been volunteered, by the way. Let's see, I'll print this, and I'll order a catalog. It says it should be here by Thursday. . . hey Heero?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Once you're done braiding my hair for the second time, you think you could fill out this form for me?" 

"Why me?" 

"You have nothing better to do, so I'm making you useful." Duo chided, making no move to stand. Shrugging, Heero leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Duo. Placing his head on Duo's shoulder, he began to key. 

"You see, that wasn't so bad." Duo murmured. _'In fact this is great.'_ They sat in silence as Heero filled out the small form. After hitting send, Heero placed his arms around Duo's waist and continued to peer over his shoulder. 

"What did it say for December?" Heero murmured into Duo's shoulder, not yet wanting to break contact. Duo's breath caught when he felt Heero's breath across his neck. Shaking his head, he stared at the computer screen as if it held the answer to the meaning of life. 

"Nothing important really. January is were the junior cabinet really comes in. It's says that-" Duo began when there was a loud knock on the door. The two turned their heads to see Relena fuming in the opened doorway, her blue eyes narrowed into thin slits. 

"What is this?" she asked, her voice tense. Duo grinned. 

"Prom planning. What's it look like?"


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer**: Not mine, not mine. . . just borrowing GW characters for awhile. ^_^  
**Author's Note:** Warnings: Shounen-ai and some mild language.   
Thankies to Lady Tora, she's beta-ing for me while ReiAkari's away. Thanks to all who's reviewed *HUGS EVERYBODY!* Enjoy the next part!

**

Prom Planning Part 2

**

"What is this?" 

"Prom planning. What's it look like?" 

Relena opened her mouth to retort, but all that erupted from her where unintelligible sounds. She pointed angrily to the lap the Duo was sitting on, and to the arms around Duo's waist. Duo's lips thinned and the ends began to turn downward as he tried hard not to laugh. Turning his head in Heero's direction. Their gazes locked for a moment, and Heero intentionally crossed his eyes. Duo's expression exaggerated itself as he saw his friend's expression. He fell off Heero's lap, laughing hysterically, only infuriating Relena further. 

"I-I'm not laughing at you," Duo sputtered between laughs. He stood and walked over to Relena's side. "It's just that Heero. . . and then I was. . ." he trailed off as her eyes narrowed even thinner. Duo cleared his throat and again resumed with his serious expression. "Hoo, look at the time! I'll be late for work." 

Heero stood and walked towards Relena. Duo sidestepped her and reached for his bookbag on the floor. Pulling various articles of his uniform, he ran into Heero's bathroom. 

"So I guess he can't afford a chair too?" Relena snapped after she heard the door close. Heero shrugged and walked back to the computer. 

"You're being unreasonable," he stated as he sat back in his chair. "It's a free country, Duo can sit where he wants." 

"In your lap?" she countered sarcastically. Walking briskly over to the computer, she peered over his shoulder. Looking at the silver and purplish theme of the prom site, she wondered why in the hell Duo needed to plan prom anyway. 'Well, at least they weren't lying about that. But still. . .' 

"He wasn't sitting on my lap," Heero reasoned, "he was on my knees. There is a difference." 

Relena dramatically clutched her hands to her chest and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know there was a difference!" she mused sourly before punching him in the arm. "What in the hell is wrong with you? Must I remind you that he's your best friend?" 

"Relena. . ." 

"And a guy for crying out-" 

"Relena," Heero said as he stood and grasped her shoulders. "look at me." 

She slowly turned her gaze towards him and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?" 

"Listen carefully. You said it yourself, Duo is my friend, repeat _friend_. I've known him a lot longer than I've known you, and maybe we are a little close, but that's all." Heero soothed. Relena found herself lost in his low voice, his intense blue eyes, and she began to feel embarrassed for her actions. "You're seeing things that aren't there, it's just a big misunderstandi . . . Duo, you're hosting tonight." 

Relena blinked rapidly. His gaze was still locked on her, did she just imagine that last part? Turning her head, she realized that Duo had left the bathroom and was putting his school clothes in his bookbag. Duo had his braid tucked into the back of his bright red T-shirt and was wearing slightly wrinkled khakis. Duo made a frustrated groan and walked over to Heero's closet. Opening it, he grabbedd a freshly ironed pair of khakis and a forest green polo shirt that was hanging neatly on the side of the door. He gave Heero a half-hearted salute before marching into the bathroom. 

"Heero!" Relena snapped. "Pardon me, seeing things that aren't there? What am I seeing exactly? Could it be that you're seriously creeping me out right now? Should I even ask why his uniform is in your closet? Let me guess, since his job, and the school, is closer to your house, he changes here after class." 

"Yes, that is why." Heero answered. 

"And to not sound like a brat or anything," Duo added as he walked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, "but as much as I love my foster home, the little kids just love hogging the bathroom. Not to mention the walk home is hell when you miss the damn bus!" he rambled as he began to slip on his work shoes. Grabbing his thin coat, Duo stood and walked out into the hallway. "Well, I'm gone, sorry about eavesdropping, but the walls of your bathroom aren't that thick." 

"They are." Heero stated loudly. 

Duo's laughter could be heard as he bounded down the stairs. "That explains why I could only make out Relena. And Heero, could ya print out that schedule for me? Thanks, man. Check you later, Princess!" 

"That's not right." Relena whined. 'Why am I the only one who sees this? Am I imagining things? And did that bastard just call me "Princess"?' 

'Sure did.' her mind taunted. 'And Heero let him. Some boyfriend. . .' 

'I didn't ask you.' Relena argued back, ignoring what Heero was telling her at that moment. 

'Well if you ask me, I think that you dear boyfriend likes.' 

"I didn't ask you!" she snapped. Heero took a step backward. 

"All I said was that I thought that it would do us some good to go out and get some fresh air." 

"I'm sorry sweetie," Relena apologized, hooking an arm around Heero's waist, "how about the movies?" 

'Don't worry,' her mind reassured her, 'either way he's as good as yours. It just up to you to keep it that way.' 

'Oh, I will. I have my ways. . .' 

Duo stood in the small cramped space, a tiny workstation set apart from the kitchen in the back. Grabbing a freshly washed knife and fork from the large silverware holder. They were warm to the touch, probably just out of the dishwasher. Setting a large stack of napkins in front of him, Duo placed a knife close to the corner of the top napkin. Add fork, fold corner, wrap, wrap, throw. Repeat. Duo thoughtlessly continued on his task, all the while being pushed aside by waiters and waitresses who needed silverware for their tables. "Folding forks," Duo muttered as he threw another perfectly rolled set into the bin, "the hosting pastime of champions." 

He felt someone stand beside him and begin the same monotonous work. Duo reasoned it to be Hilde, her shift must have started a while ago. It wasn't until a slender hand waved frantically in front of him did he snap out of whatever trance he was in. 

"Who's maning the station?" Duo asked casually. Hilde craned her neck around the corner. 

"Tim's opening the door. . . looks like Jane and Melissa are sitting. I've got clipboard once Chris's shift ends. What's your assignment?" she informed him, turning to see he had blanked out again. "You know that you are out of forks?" 

Duo paused as he realized he had folded about six lonely knives. Picking them out of the bin, he threw them in the dishrack and began to fill the basket at his feet. 

"Whoa. . . this is serious." Hilde joked as she leaned against the counter. "Give me details. I betcha Heero's in the mix." 

"Hilde," Duo warned as he grabbed the basket, slid past Hilde and began to briskly walk to the host station at the front of the restraurant. After setting down the basket, he began to organize the menus that had been thrown during the evening rush when Hilde's fingers began to poke him in the side. 

"I'm right, aren't I?" 

"Fuck you." he hissed, and began to look around to make sure a customer or manager wasn't around to hear that. 

"Oh, you're blushing! I'm so right! So tell me!" Hilde insisted as she practically glomped him. 

"Chris?" he pleaded to the curly-haired girl standing in front of a crowd of people. She turned and gave him an apologetic smile before mouthing ten minutes. "I wasn't asking how long the wait is!" Duo exclaimed in defeat as he removed Hilde's arms from around his waist. 

"All the tables are full of people, no one to seat for another ten minutes," Hilde pointed out, "just enough time to tell me why you've been in la, la, land." 

"For all you know it could be about the prom we've been designated to plan." Duo countered. He watched as his fellow cabinet member and junior class vice-president cross her arms and wrinkle her nose. 

"Nah, you'd be pissed about that." she reasoned. "You looked pretty happy folding those napkins." 

"Nothing happened," Duo blurted out suddenly, "absolutely nothing. . . but Relena walked in and then all of a sudden it was something! Stupid, huh?" 

"I swear. . ." Hilde trailed off as she saw the hopeless look appear in Duo's eyes. "So what didn't happen?" 

"I went over to Heero's, as usual. I was still pretty mad at Mrs. N's prom assignment and was ranting about it. So, Heero had pulled up this prom company on his computer-" 

"That's wonderful! Did you get a cata-" 

"I'm bringing all that I found to tomorrow's meeting. As I was saying, I was sitting on Heero's lap and-" 

"Whoa there!" Hilde gasped. "Was it a nice lap?" 

"You can be so crude at times." 

"That wasn't crude. It would have been crude if I asked you if Heero's-" 

"Customers . . ." Duo sang between clenched teeth. 

"Fine. So you were innocently sitting on your friend's lap at the computer. . ." 

"I was." 

"Whatever. You were there and the girlfriend walked in. And then. . ." 

"Yeah," a female voice behind them blurted out, "what next? This is getting good." Spinning on his heel, Duo realized that the large party that Chris had been talking to were staring at the two teens. They were all grinning. 

"Oh gee! Look at that, low on balloons!" Duo exclaimed as he began to walk back toward the kitchen. Maybe he could learn how to prepare those Aztec salads that his friend loved so much. 

So he could put it down the back of her shirt. 

**Few days later**

Quatre closed his locker and looked around the large hallway. It was early, only a fair smattering of students could be seen. Classes didn't start for another hour, most of the kids he knew were probably just getting out of bed. The students that were there probably had before school practice, he had spotted the JROTC drill team marching in the empty parking lot. Others were at their lockers, sleepily lounging with friends or finishing homework. Some were stuck with early morning detention. He, on the otherhand, had other plans. 

Walking briskly down the hallway towards the cafeteria, Quatre could see the large blue sign. "Prom Committee Meeting Here!" was printed in still dripping white paint. He had no clue why he was joining the prom committee, for he was only a sophomore, and the new kid to boot. Duo had insisted that he should come, but he still felt that Duo had a different reason besides wanting all of his friends to be a part of the prom commitee. Quatre paused at the cafeteria door as he promptly remembered that Trowa was also a friend of Duo's. 

Quatre turned and began to walk away from the doors when they opened and a hand clutched his jacket and pulled him in. 

"You made it!" Duo cheered as he pulled the bewildered boy into a quick hug. "Trowa's over there," Duo added with a wink. Quatre laughed faintly. 

"If you say anything else," Quatre whispered in a low voice. "I will kill you.*" 

"Geez, thought you would be grateful," he muttered as he pushed Quatre in the room. Looking at the clock, he realized that it was time to start the meeting. 

"Welcome everybody!" Duo stated loudly as he sat at the head of the cafeteria table besides Hilde. "I pleased that you could all make it to-" 

Entering the cafeteria door was Heero, Relena latched tightly to his arm. 

And she didn't look happy. 

**TBC**


	3. Part 3

Prom Planning 3 **Disclaimer**: Not mine, not mine. . . just borrowing GW characters for awhile. ^_^  
**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait! Downed computers are a pain, ne? I'm slowly getting my groove back, I hope part 3 doesn't suck too bad.   
** Warnings:** Shounen-ai and some mild language.   


**

Prom Planning Part 3

**

Heero walked briskly down the hallway, Relena clinging tightly to his arm. He still had no clue why she was coming to this meeting with him; in fact he was annoyed. Last night, after finally convincing the girl that her suspicions were unreasonable, Relena insisted on joining a committee to make it up to him. He secretly thought she had other motives.  
  
Those worries became a reality the next morning when Relena arrived at his house 10 minutes late. Her excuse or apology was oversleeping; but he could tell that she took no pains in rushing, she looked as pristine as always. All the way to school she ranted and raved about how this year's prom was going to be a bust.  
  
"Duo!" she had exclaimed, "Of all the people to be in charge of prom, it had to be him. He's nothing but a goof off, and he is not all that bright either. Sometimes I wonder how you can put up with him."  
  
He had wanted to snap at her, tell her that Duo had a higher G.P.A. than her, but he kept his mouth shut. The second they had reached inside the school doors, Relena began to complain about it being "chilly". Throwing his letter jacket at her, he began his walk to meeting. He paused at the cafeteria doors and silently prayed his girlfriend would not stir trouble.   
  
"Welcome everybody!" Heero heard from inside the room. Bracing himself, he shot a warning glance at Relena before stepping inside. Duo was sitting at the head of the table, wearing a pair of dark slacks and an off-white sweater that appeared to be a couple sizes too large. It was different from his usual dark wardrobe, but professional looking nonetheless. Hilde was sitting next to him in a similar outfit; their usually cheery expressions were replaced by more serious grins. He stood still as he watched Duo start the meeting; Relena tugged angrily at his arm.   
  
"I'm pleased that you could all make it to-" Duo paused as Heero and Relena entered. As he made eye contact with the girl across the room, their eyes narrowed slightly. Relena huffed and pulled once more on Heero's arm, making sure that they sat on the farthest end of the table. She grinned, hoping that her presence would fluster him.   
  
Duo grinned as he looked back at the door. "Anyone else?" His grin widened as the people in the room began to laugh. As if on cue, the door opened and Mrs. Noin walked in, causing the room to laugh harder and applaud her tardiness.  
  
"Don't mind me," she instructed as she sat at a nearby table. "Pretend I'm not even here."  
  
"As I was saying, welcome. I'm glad to see such a large turnout." Duo said to the room as he did a mental count in his head. He guessed around 50 students, but he wouldn't be sure until after the sign-up. "I thought we'd start out by introducing the cabinet. I'm Duo, junior class president. This lovely lady next to me is the jr. vp, Miss Hilde Somethingorother, which sounds a lot like somethingorother."  
  
"It does not!" Hilde bristled as she playfully punched him in the arm.  
  
"Still luv ya anyway." he winked as he motioned to the stern-looking boy who was also wearing a white top and dark pants. "Wuffie. . ."  
  
"Wufei." the Chinese teen interrupted gruffly.   
  
"Wufei, is our secretary-"  
  
"Treasurer."  
  
"Secretary."  
  
"Treas-"  
  
"Administrative Assistant slash Treasurer." Duo playfully resigned, causing the room to erupt into laughter once more. "To round out our list is the ever busy sponsor, Mrs. Noin. Unfortunately, she's *not here* for the meeting."  
  
"This is stupid." Relena scoffed under her breath loud enough for everyone to hear.  
  
"What was that Miss Peacecraft?" Mrs. Noin asked as she walked over to the end of the table. The room became temporarily silent. Duo continued on speaking, knowing that a scene was the last thing he needed.  
  
"Now that we've introduced ourselves, I think that we better start. We've got a lot to cover in only a few months." Duo continued as he watched Mrs. Noin warn Relena out of the corner of his eye. He stood so that he could be seen and heard by the entire room. "In general, we will officially meet twice a month to check on the status of the subcommittees and to vote on various things. Attendance to those meetings are important. If you miss, please contact one of the officers immediately. Unofficial meetings may be scheduled at the spur of the moment, but you don't have to come to those, but I recommend it. Today we will be picking our theme and colors. Subcommittee sign-up will be at the very end. Hilde?"  
  
"Right now we have seven committees." Hilde began as Duo sat down and handed her a piece of paper. She stood and read off the list. "After-Prom events, clean-up, flowers, food and refreshments, invitations, programs and memory books, ticket sales. We will put up separate sign-up sheets at the end of the meeting."  
  
"There will also be flyers that will explain what you will be responsible for along with the phone number of the student or teacher in charge of the committee." Duo added from his seat. "Some committee members will have outside meetings, they are also marked on the sheets. Gotta go to those meetings no matter what. If you can't make the meetings, please do not sign up."  
  
"And for all your hard work, you'll get to wear these cool prom committee shirts the day before prom!" Hilde finished as she unearthed the blue T-shirt from her seat.  
  
"You were sitting on it?" Duo whispered, causing the dark-haired girl to giggle. She sat back down and motioned to Wufei, who promptly stood.  
  
"The cabinet will be responsible for the budget," he stated loudly, reading from a page in his notebook. "Purchases must be made by 2/3 vote, as with selection of theme, colors, and decorations. Teachers will solely be responsible for security, chaperoning, and prom court. A court committee will be formed after the candidates have been selected. A prom court candidate may not join this committee. All other matters concerning prom will be handled at the bi-weekly meetings."  
  
"Well!" Duo exclaimed as Wufei sat down, "Now that we've got the boring stuff out of the way, let's get on to the fun stuff!" He took the stack of papers next to him and handed them to Hilde. "Take one and pass them around. Here's a list of the most common prom themes this year. Most are song titles or show themes. Everyone, go through this list. Yell out the ones that call to your soul!" he bellowed out, adding quickly at the end, "And then we vote."  
  
"I can't believe. . ." Relena grumbled to herself as she shared a list with Heero. The meeting was going well, better than she had hoped. It seemed that Heero's longhaired idiot was much more intelligent than she had thought. Though she was impressed by the layout of the meeting, almost envious, Relena had a plan for this meeting herself. She looked around the room and waited, made sure that everyone was looking at the list that Heero had helped Duo find a few days ago. Turning to glare the head of the table, she raised her hand.  
  
"How are we possibly going to pick from this list!" she exclaimed before any of the officer's could acknowledge her. "There's more than 300 themes on this paper. And pretty lame ones at that."  
  
"Yeah." a girl moaned, one of her friends.  
  
"Where did you make this anyway?" another girl complained.  
  
"Looks cut and paste to me."   
  
Relena leaned back as she listened to the hushed whispers that floated across the room. She held back a giggle as she watched Linda send another insult loudly in Duo's direction. Turning to look at the boy, she was surprised to see that he seemed unfazed, in fact he seemed calm. Heero on the other hand, began to look around the room quickly, his eyes focusing mainly on the exit.  
  
"You know," Duo mused loudly as he leaned back in the chair. "Relena does put up a valid point. I mean, I admit, these came straight out of a catalog. Can anyone name a prom the DIDN'T have a cheesy theme? Tradition states that every prom must ham up the cheese factor!" he stated, tapping on the table for emphasis. The room began to laugh at the joke. Motioning them to be quiet, he continued. "Seriously, I do want the theme to mean something. I mean that for some of you, this is your last prom ever. To us juniors, it means sh. . . little, but for the seniors it means a whole lot. We've got to try our hardest. Think back to this fall, think of all the experiences you've gone through. Read the list; mark the ones you like. If you find nothing, think of something else. Instead of voting today, we will vote on Friday. Let's have this week to brim up ideas. So, I'm just gonna cut my losses and close the meeting a few minutes early."  
  
The room sat in silence as Duo stood and walked over to an empty table and began to lie out the subcommittee lists. A few began to clap, and it grew to thunderous applause. Duo turned and over dramatically clutched his heart then bowed.   
  
"Sign the lists already!" he said loudly. "We don't want to anger the cafeteria gods." Everyone stood and walked over to the lists, talking to each other as they went along. Things went back to normal, conflict forgotten-as if it never happened. Duo walked over to Relena and Heero. They were standing at the rear of the cafeteria, Heero's eyes staring directly at the doors now.   
  
"Heero, Relena." Duo acknowledged his voice tight.   
  
"Duo." she responded coolly, flipping her blond hair over her shoulder.   
  
"You," he hissed, "can leave. Your friends as well. This is not a place for your games."  
  
Relena huffed as she turned and walked over to the table, fully intent on signing up for a committee. Heero stood frozen, unable to move. Duo glared angrily at him now, his violet-eyes narrowed. Grabbing Heero's arm he pulled him out into the hallway and pushed him against the wall.  
  
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Duo snapped at him. "Bringing that bitch and her friends-"  
  
"I didn't know." he stated. "If I knew. . ."  
  
"Bullshit." the longhaired teen muttered as he let go of his arm. "Even if you did know, you'd be too scared to do anything about it. You're too scared to even-" Duo drew in a breath as he realized what he was saying.   
  
"Duo. . ." Heero whispered as he reached for Duo's arm, but he was already backing away. "What am I so scared to-"  
  
"I'm sorry, but. . . *this* has got to stop. Keep her in line. If you can't, then. . . I don't want your help either." he commanded, his voice low. He turned and walked into the cafeteria, not noticing Relena leaning against the opposite wall. Walking up to Heero, she reached for his hand.  
  
"Don't touch me." Heero said coldly as he walked past her. She smiled at his retreating form. Sure, he was mad at her now, but she could easy get back in his graces. Duo on the other hand, wouldn't have thing slightest chance.  
  
She was going to win this battle, and she finally knew how.  
  
**************************************************************  
  
Quatre stood at the sign-up table, his eyes scanning each list.  
  
"What committee are you going to join?" a voice asked behind him. He froze, his book bag slipping from his hand to the floor. Turning, he found himself standing extremely close to Trowa.  
  
"Um, I was going to sign up for Ticket Sales," Quatre mused, "but I was thinking about the Food and Refreshment committee. What about you?"  
  
"Ticket Sales or Food and Refreshment." the senior answered without hesitation.   
  
"Oh." Quatre said as he turned his face to the floor. Blushing madly, he began to scuff the floor with his foot. 'That's not what he meant!' he scolded himself. "You can go ahead of me if you want. I'm still making up my mind."  
  
"I was hoping to see what you were signing up for first." Quatre heard Trowa say. Looking up, he saw that Trowa was mimicking his actions, a hint of a smile on the taller teen's face.   
  
Laughing, Quatre lightly tugged on Trowa's letter jacket before pushing him away. Blushing furiously, he turned and signed his name on a list, not really noticing what he signed for.  
  
"Hmm," Trowa hummed as he leaned over Quatre's shoulder. "Clean-up?"  
  
"Opps, wrong list. I, um, I could have sworn this said. . ." Quatre stammered as Trowa took the pen from his hand and scratched out his name. Signing them both up for Ticket Sales, Trowa stood and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving a confused Quatre behind.  
  
". . .oh, my." the blond boy gushed as he leaned back against the table, ignoring the confused looks by the girls standing beside him. Seeing a long brown braid fly past the corner of his eye, Quatre picked up his book bag from the floor and ran to tell Duo what had happened.  
  
"Hey Duo!" Quatre exclaimed.  
  
"Bitch!" Duo hissed as he kicked his book bag before scooping it off the floor. "Oh, hi Q." he added as he turned around.  
  
"So that was the Relena you were talking about."   
  
"Yeah." he muttered as the two began to leave the cafeteria. Duo waved briskly to Mrs. Noin, who was supervising the sign-up table.  
  
"You covered really well in there." Quatre said as the two left the room and into the crowded hallway.  
  
"True, but did you see after?"  
  
"I was talking to Trowa, I think. We might have been fl. . . no!" he giggled before clamping a hand over his mouth.  
  
Duo grinned. "Cute. I bet by the time prom comes around. . . no, wait that's too long. *Before* prom you two will-"  
  
"We two will what?" Quatre challenged.  
  
"Nooothinggg."   
  
The two walked briskly to in companionable silence to Quatre's locker. Watching Duo easily open the locker next door to his, he remembered Duo's earlier mood. "So what happened after the meeting?"  
  
Duo groaned as he opened the locker. Pausing to turn over the pink picture frame on Heero's door, he proceeded to throw his books into the crowded space.  
  
"I was cool. I handled it well," he ranted as he heard his books fall with a clang. "Then I grabbed Heero's arm and caused a little scene in the hallway. I don't know why I snapped at *him*, it was his girlfriend I was mad at!"  
  
"Maybe the fact that Relena is his girlfriend made you lash out at him." Quatre suggested as he put his book bag on a hook and closed the door.   
  
"I don't know. But this whole thing with Relena is starting to bug me. It's pissing me off." Duo ranted. "She never really liked me to begin with, but now she's trying to put the two of us against each other. It's all because of that whole computer thing. Now Heero's probably pissed at me. I almost accused him of. . . never mind, you'd think I was crazy." Shaking his head, he threw another book in the locker. One of Heero's books tipped over, causing a calculator to fall and land in Duo's palm. A post-it note was attached to it. _"I lost my calculator, find it for me,"_ it read.  
  
Duo began to laugh. "You have got to be kidding. We haven't done this since . . . middle school." he told the blond Arabian as he stared at the object in his hand. "Whenever we had a fight, we'd leave something of ours behind where the other could find it. That way we would have to return it. Perfect excuse for an apology. But being the stubborn people we are, we never could say sorry."  
  
"So he left the calculator to patch things up?"  
  
"Either that or he knew I had a test today." Duo mused as he tossed the calculator in his bag.  
  
"Why don't you ask him?" Quatre said as he looked behind Duo's shoulder. "Hey Heero. Um, if you'll excuse me. . ."  
  
Duo watched Quatre's retreating form, secretly dreading to turn around. So he didn't.  
  
"I found your calculator."  
  
"Still mad?" Heero asked. He began to deposit his bag in the locker, ever watchful of Duo from the corner of his eye.  
  
"A little."  
  
"I thought you had a test today. Can you just drop it off at my place after school?" 

__

'Are things still cool with us? Please, please, please. I hate when you're mad at me.'  
  
"I was gonna stop by anyway." Duo remarked casually as he flung his book bag on his shoulders. 

__

'I feel like such a jerk. I'm still pissed at your girlfriend. I'm not sure why I'm mad at you too, but I am.'  
  
"Yeah." Heero said, briefly noting how tight Duo's fingers were gripping his book bag. 

__

'He's still mad at me.'   
  
"Yeah." he echoed. Out of the corner of his eyes, he looked closely at Heero's body language. 

__

'He knows I'm mad at him. Shit! Am I really mad at him? I don't know, fuck. Why do I feel so terrible?'  
  
"We're late." Heero pointed out as the bell rang above their heads.   
  
Duo turned around and began to grin. "Walk me to class?" he asked coyly.  
  
"We're in the same homeroom."  
  
"Sheesh, you're no fun." Duo groaned as he rolled his eyes. He slapped Heero's arm and began to walk away. Slamming his locker shut, Heero caught up with his friend, putting Duo in a playful chokehold. Duo laughed as he slipped free and began to sprint down the hallway, Heero running not too far behind him.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
"'An affair of love'. . .no. . . it's too, eh. . . 'another day in paradise'. . .'as time goes by'?" Quatre mused as he sipped from his milk carton. It was lunchtime and unfortunately for Quatre it seemed that none of his friends had the same lunch hour. Immediately grabbing a round table in an empty corner, the small blond covered the table with the contents of his book bag. He spent most of the lunch period thinking about prom themes, and ignoring the rowdy table next to his. Not even bothering to look up, he could tell from the massive amounts of blue grazing through his peripheral vision that they were varsity players.   
  
_'Could you be any more. . .'_ his mind taunted.  
  
_'Don't even. I'm a nerd, accept that fact and get over it.' _he thought, arguing with himself.   
  
_'I was thinking more along the line of sissy, but what can you do?'_  
  
"No, that's gay." he grumbled out loud. Scratching out "At the Hop", Quatre sighed and leaned back in his chair.   
  
_'Were you referring to the theme or . . .?'_  
  
"Argh!"   
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Lunch held no meaning for Trowa Barton, just something to pass the time until gym. He sat at the 'jock table' bored out of his mind. If this were what high school life was supposed to be like, he would take his trailer school any day. Everyone at home, well, his circus home insisted that this was best for him. He disagreed. Six months later and reluctantly one of the "popular" kids, Trowa still felt that he was better off at the circus. That is until *he* showed up. Running into Duo the same day he was showing Quatre around was no accident. Trowa had seen the teen earlier in the attendance office that day, and he was rendered speechless. Any reason, any excuse Trowa could find to be near Quatre, he used it.  
  
"I'm obsessed."; Trowa groaned as he buried his head in his hands.  
  
"With what, bro?" someone asked, a strong arm wrapped itself around Trowa's neck.   
  
"Nothing." he said, not even bothering to identify the owner of the arm.  
  
"Come on man, who's the chick? I've never seen you this expressive since that day Jay kicked ya in the-"  
  
"Argh!"  
  
Heaven had opened its gates and the angels began to sing in a chorus only heard by Trowa's ears. Swinging his body around in his chair (briefly strangling himself in the process), Trowa saw Quatre sitting alone at a table, angrily swiping at a piece of paper.  
  
_'Be cool. Be cool. Be cool.'_ Trowa's mind chanted. _'Keep it together. Keep it together.'_  
  
"Man, you look like you've seen a ghost."   
  
"Don't worry about it." he informed his friend as turned around. The teammate shrugged as he removed his arm from Trowa's neck. Whatever fancy trick the guy did while turning around really hurt.  
  
_'3, 2, 1, snap.'_  
  
Trowa grabbed his tray, book bag, and jacket and in one swift motion he had turned his seat around to Quatre's table.   
  
"Hi." he said once his books hit the table. Quatre's head snapped up at the noise.  
  
"Um, hi." Quatre choked out, a faint red growing across his cheeks. They stared at each other in silence, neither moving or saying a word.  
  
"Dude, wasn't Trowa sitting here a second ago?"  
  
********************************************************************  
  
"So they ate lunch together, right? Well, they didn't actually eat lunch." Duo rambled as he stretched across Heero's bed. "Q said that they didn't realize that they had the same lunch together until the very end. They didn't really start talking to each other until the passing period, and that's only because I had to pick a topic for them. Geez man, I've never seen somebody crush on somebody so bad! It's kinda cute. I think you need to help your friend out, Tro's pretty dense on the whole relationship thing. And since you two are on the b-ball team. . ."  
  
"Duo. . ." Heero said from his seat at the computer.  
  
"Try and get him to do something with his bangs. I mean they're starting to cover more than half of his face. Maybe get him to open up more and talk a bit, hehe, um, never mind. Leave that to me."  
  
"Duo."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're still on F." he stated, turning to stare at his friend.   
  
"No more!" Duo groaned as he rolled onto his side. He propped up his head in one of his hands and began to pout. "If I have to hear another prom theme I'll go insane! You know that Wufei came up today pissed about the "Shanghai Moon" theme. I told him earlier-"  
  
"Quit changing the subject."  
  
"Fine." he sighed as he fell back against the pillows. "We left off at Famous Couples-"  
  
"Which prompted you to talk for half an hour about Quatre and Trowa."  
  
"By the end of the year they will be. Are we going to go through this list or not? I could always go to work early."  
  
"You're the one. . ." Heero started before looking back at the screen, a grin crossing his face. The two had been playfully snapping at each other all day, finding arguments about the most silliest things. They even "fought" over who would put popcorn in the microwave and who would get soda from the refrigerator.  
  
"Scratch out "Famous Couples," we both agree that it's lame." 

"'Fantastic Voyage'. . .'Feels like heaven'. . ." Heero began to read down the computerized list, briefly pausing to hear Duo's opinions on them. There were none. ". . .'Feels like love'. . . 'Fly with me'. . .'Forever in my life'. . ." 

"Yes!" Duo shouted, causing Heero to turn around abruptly. The longhaired teen was sitting cross-legged on the bed, a Gameboy in his hands. "Four in a row! Tetris!" 

"Hand it over." he growled, sitting down on the bed next to Duo. 

"I'm about to break my record. You keep looking at those lists." Duo whined. Heero began to grab for the game from his friend's hands. Trying in vain not to lose his game, Duo continued to play the game, dodging Heero's advances by standing and walking around the bed. "Heero! Quit." 

"Pick a theme first." Heero stood and cornered him on the bed, poking the other teen's side until he fell backward, still trying to play the game. 

Duo laughed and tried to roll away from poking hands, but Heero was sitting on his legs. "I told you I'm done with themes for today! You pick and if you don't quit poking me. . ." 

Blue eyes narrowed mischievously. In one swift move Heero grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and threw it over them. "I guess I'll have to ruin your game then." 

"I can't see!" Duo screamed. "Hah! I hit the pause button!" 

"Not for long!" With that, the two began to wrestle each other, their actions unseen from under the blanket. Hands flew out from under the blanket. One hand gripped the other, causing it to hit the nightstand and the clock radio in the process. 

"Ow! Heero!" More scuffling ensued as the blanket slowly got kicked aside. 

"Give me the game." 

"You get it." Duo gasped, his body currently pinned by Heero's. They were now at the foot of the bed, panting and suppressing giggles. 

"I'd love to but I don't know where it is." he panted as he looked around the bed and in Duo's hands. 

"Come to think of it, where is it?" the violet-eyed boy asked between laughter. "I kinda threw it off the bed when you tackled me." He began to laugh even louder when he realized the position they were in. 

"You know, um Heero, if Relena was to walk in right now, or anybody for that matter. . .wait a sec!" Duo's eyes widened as he listened to the song playing on the clock radio. He threw himself at Heero, throwing the surprised boy backwards and on his back. 

"What are you-?" Heero asked as Duo untangled himself from Heero's legs and began to climb up his body. 

"Shhh. Listen." he informed him as he sat on Heero's stomach and turned up the volume on the radio. "I've found a theme!" 

"But . . . it's Disney." 

"I know that, but it's the soundtrack version. It's guaranteed cheese, but listen to the lyrics." Duo pleaded as he rolled of Heero's body and sat next to him. Heero tried to listen to the lyrics, but he found it hard to concentrate.

__

'Stop thinking about the guy next to you and listen to the song.' he scolded himself. 

Duo sat in silence as the song continued, leaning against the headboard. Though he was pleased at himself for finding a theme for the prom, he wanted to die. Somewhere during that wrestling match, the emotions changed from annoyance to fun. To well. . . you know. Avoidance was key. _'Pretend it didn't happen, all is well. Listen to your damn song.'_ he thought mournfully. "Well?" he suggested as the song ended. 

"It's. . ." _'I'm still not thinking about the music. What was the song again? Kill me now.'_

"Disney, I know." _'Weird factor is up, time to leave.' _He stood from the bed and grabbed his book bag. "Well, now that I have a theme everyone can vote on, which they better, I better go to work. It's getting late, so I'll just change there. Hey Heero, call your Relena. I don't want you guys to get all heartbroken on me or anything. About . . .Tetris. . ."

"Don't worry about it." Heero interrupted as he stood and walked over to his computer. "It was nothing."

"Yeah!" he squeaked cheerfully, though he felt like he'd been slapped. Spinning on his heel, Duo walked out into the hallway. "Nothing at all." he echoed, running down the stairs.

Heero picked up his phone and reluctantly dialed. Neither was convinced.

****

TBC 

**AN: **_ Ok, IMO the end of this chapter sucks ass. Oh, well *sigh*. Can *you* guess Duo's prom theme idea? First one who does wins a prize! *HUG* Feel the love!  
  
A big thanks and hug goes out to Caffeinated Duo, who drew a lovely pic. I hope I don't get killed for showing it off, it's that good! http://ereid.net/prom%20planning.jpg  
_


	4. Part 4

Prom Planning **Disclaimer**: Not mine, not mine. . . just borrowing GW characters for awhile. ^_^  
** Warnings:** Shounen-ai and language. Vague references of the lime-ish realm plus what some may consider very lime-y dancing.   
**

Prom Planning Part 4

**

"Kill me now!" Duo groaned as he pounded his head on the host podium. Tsk-ing sympathetically, Hilde patted Duo's shoulder before reaching for the menu under his head. Slipping an insert inside, she handed it to another hostess, and froze when she heard a loud thwap. 

"Come on," she sighed, prying Duo away from the station, "it couldn't have been that bad." Receiving a pitiful glance from her friend, she grabbed the nearest stack of menus and swatted his arm. "Now will you please tell me what happened?" 

"Yes, please do." their manager playfully snapped as he rushed towards the stand with a handful of silverware. "Fraternizing on the job gets you silverware duty. To the back with you!" 

"I was so looking forward to seating people and telling them about our new specials!" Hilde said with a sniffle. She laughed before grabbing Duo's arm, dragging him to the silverware station. 

"No making out back there!" the manager added as they flew by. 

"Geez," Duo laughed as they reached the counter, "what's his problem?" 

Hilde giggled as she grabbed for a handful of forks. "Oh, don't hold it against him. He's not the only person who thinks you're my boyfriend."  

"I wonder why. . . Hilde?" he sarcastically asked, already rolling a set.  

"I don't think I'm going to comment on that." she huffed. "Who wants a gay boyfriend anyway?" 

"Oh, you know you love me."  

"Roll." Hilde playfully ordered as she tossed another set in the basket.  

"I wuv you, Hilde." he cooed as he pulled her into a big bear hug. "I've been known to fraternize with the ladies." Just then a waitress walked by, giggling as she took a few silverware rolls from the basket. 

Quickly dislodging herself from Duo's arms, Hilde laughed loudly as she punched him in the stomach. "Yeah, I really wonder why. . . Duo!" Shrugging nonchalantly, Duo continued at the task at hand. The two teens continued tedious job of refilling the basket of silverware, neither saying a word. "Um, Duo?" Hilde asked after a long moment of silence. 

"Yeah?" 

"You know you ran out of forks again?" 

"Well, shit." Duo hissed. 

"What did Heero do this time?" 

"He wouldn't let me play Tetris!" he whined, finishing the last set. 

"That's terrible." she said dully.

"And he tickled me."

"He should know better." Hilde grinned, trying hard to hold back a laugh.

"Then we wrestled."

There was a long pause as Hilde slowly turned her back to him, giggling wildly. "Say no more, say no more." she gasped as she walked away. "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink."

"You know what I mean?" Duo asked in a British accent  [1] as he grabbed the silverware basket and followed her.

"Sadly I do." she laughed, before frowning slightly. "You didn't. . ."

"I did." he interrupted her. Hilde clamped her hand to her mouth to hold back a loud guffaw. Duo groaned and again turned toward the host stand. Grabbing his shoulders, Hilde spun him around.

"Stop abusing the counter." she scolded as she began to rearrange the menus. "The people at the bar are starting to stare. And what about him...did he?"

"I'm not sure. Not like you can ask a somebody a questing like: Pardon me, but at anytime during this exchange of foreplay, I mean wrestling, were you by chance. . . why are we talking about this at work?"

"Because the dinner rush isn't for another half-hour and this place is pretty empty."

"That wasn't the worst thing," he added softly as he tugged on balloon strings attached to the stand. "I told him to patch things up with the Princess."

"You did what? Do you always have to make your life harder than it needs to be?"

"It's not that easy."

"Sure it is!" Jim, the bartender said as he came bounding around the corner, scaring them both. Slinging an arm around Duo's shoulder's the hyper man added, "Tell him to dump the bitch and then jump *him*."

"Don't you have a bar to keep! Damn! At least you could've gave me a margarita or something." Duo yelled as Jim laughed and began to hop back to the bar. "This is why I want another job." the braided boy lamented under his breath.

"Oh, you know you love us." Hilde said, wrapping her arms around his waist in a half-hug. "So you got a theme yet?" Duo rolled his eyes and hugged back, briefly scanning the restaurant for tables to be cleaned. 

"Yeah, for some reason I went with Disney." he answered. "Table 3 looks almost done. Who's our bus bitch tonight?"

"Duo!" she snickered as she began jabbing him in the arm. 

"Jim started it!!" he pleaded as he used a menu as a shield. "Besides, it's a fitting title."

"Sure, whatever Duo." the shorthaired girl relented. "Anyways, I went with Disney too."

"Cheese city!!" they both exclaimed at the same time.

"Famous for sentimental shit." he sighed as he turned to look at the door. "It's . . . hey Q!"

"Hey Duo!" Quatre exclaimed as he walked in the door. Duo's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar blue and black jacket that the blond boy was currently wearing. It was too large for the teen, the sleeves passed his arms; but on a certain basketball player. . .

Sure enough, Trowa entered a few seconds later looking sharp wearing a dark green sweater and cargo pants. Duo pushed Hilde aside and grabbed two rolls of silverware and menus. "I'll seat them." he told her. Turning to the pair he asked, "A table or booth?"

"Table." Quatre answered after receiving an indecisive shrug from his date.

"Excellent choice! I'm assuming non-smoking for the two of you? Marvelous. Now, if you'll just follow me. . ."

"Thanks Duo." Trowa said as the longhaired boy sat them at a small table for two. Duo grinned and winked as he placed their silverware and menus in front of them.

"Let me give you a quick run-down of our specials. These," he instructed while snatching the insert from Quatre's menu and held it up for display, "are our specials. Order them and I get something special from the boss. You don't think we call them "special" because they're cheap! Oh, and ignore the stuff on the back cuz it's alchie-hall and though you may look old enough Tro, they'll still card you. Well, Sandra's your waitress, tip good cuz we get a piece of the profit [2], and enjoy your meal!"

 Duo bounded away from the table, stopping to pick up a pile of finished plates on a nearby table. After placing them in the back, he returned to the podium only to be greeted with another couple he knew from school. Giving them the same "special menu speech", he returned to the host stand. Scanning the restaurant, he saw that Quatre was on the edge of his seat happily telling Trowa about all the neat junk nailed all over the walls. Not that it looked like his companion minded; Trowa listened in almost admiration, occasionally adding to the commentary which probably prompted a flirting session between the two. Something about them seemed familiar to Duo, almost like the way he was with. . .

Duo briefly scolded himself; this wasn't the time to think of such things. People began arriving in crowds, quickly making the large restaurant appear extremely small. Seating people as soon as possible and keeping them in a good mood became the priority. Not to mention giving the "official special speech" as fast as possible, though at times he wished he could tell a couple of them, especially the manager, where to shove those damn specials.

Duo leaned against the host stand wearily, the wait list now at 30 minutes. The crowd was so large that the host stand was no longer really a place a host would want to be. People flanked all around him, most pushing him aside as they invaded his space. Work shoes his ass, Duo's feet screamed at him, and he could not wait to get home. It was one of those nights that he would usually head to Heero's to vent and possibly negotiate a foot massage, but knowing that the Princess would be there just made his mood even worse. He felt a hand taping his shoulder, but he shrugged it aside. 'Go bother another host.' his mind snapped while he automatically began to organize the scattered menus.

"Can I have a balloon?" Trowa's voice asked behind him, causing Duo to drop the pile in his hand.

"Sorry about that, Tro!" he exclaimed as he turned to look at his friend. "Ok. . . what color?"

The slightly taller teen began to blush as he looked at the balloons tied tightly to the host stand. "One of each would be best. Quatre wondered if he could have one. . ."

"Ah! Why didn't ya say so?" Duo exclaimed as he began to find the balloon strings. Arranging the balloons in a hasty bouquet, he passed them to Trowa. "Here you go!"

Sandra ran up to the host stand after Trowa left, her face full of concern. "What's that all about?" she whispered as she placed a stack of empty glasses on the host stand.

"It's the blond kid's birthday." Hilde quickly answered, appearing out of nowhere to grab the cups, pausing to prod Duo in the back to stay quiet.

"Really? Watch my tables for a second will ya?" Sandra said before quickly running to the kitchen.

"Why'd you-" Duo began but was interrupted by Hilde raising her hand. She gave the cups to Duo and began to tick of her reasons on her hand.

"One they get free dessert, you won't get in trouble for giving away five balloons to a teenager, and your blond friend will get serenaded by the staff and think it's was Trowa's idea! Sandra will be tipped graciously, which means our cut will be a lot larger!" she concluded as she leaned against the podium. "I bet that blondie looks adorable when he blushes."

"You amaze me sometimes, Hilde Something-or-other." he mused as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Resolving conflict for friends whenever possible." she sang after him. 'Now as for you and your problems,' Hilde thought as she went to seat another table, 'I've got my work cut out for me.'

***********************  
"I'm soooo glad you called, Heero." Relena purred as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. "I thought you would never forgive me for making a scene like that."

"Just don't do it again." He said as he tried in vain to watch the movie he had put in the VCR.

"I told you, I couldn't help it!" she protested. "Those themes were awful! I'm sorry Duo thought that I was trying to sabotage his meeting or something. I told my friends and they were so upset! Especially Linda, she has the biggest crush on him. They almost quit the committees but I convinced them otherwise. Aren't you proud of me, Heero?"

"Very."

"And why Duo yelled at you like that was beyond me. Why you are friends is beyond me. You are nothing alike!"

"That's why I like-"

"You two need space! That's it. People tend to fight when they are around each other all the time. Maybe if you spent less time with Duo-"

"I'm helping with prom."

"So am I, but you don't see me helping him every single hour of the day. That's what his cabinet's for."

"He asked me-"

"You can't go hold his hand forever, Heero. This is something he has to do for himself." Relena again interrupted. "If Duo needs help, he can ask his girlfriend. They are on the cabinet together."

"Hilde's not his girlfriend." Heero stated tensely.

Noting the sudden change in her boyfriend's mood, she pushed further. "Are you sure? I always see them flirting or hugging each other. He even said at the meeting that he loved her."

"He hits on Wufei whenever possible." he argued; though the point only served to make him more edgy.

Relena crinkled her nose. "Wufei's a guy." 

"Duo's a very open person. He says loves almost everyone. . . what are you doing?" he snapped as Relena had begun to place light kisses along his collarbone.

"I thought that maybe we could, cuddle?" she murmured, her hands leaving their spot around his shoulders and began a slow path down his chest.

"No." he answered a bit roughly, pushing himself away from her, his body ending up on the living room floor. Scrambling to a standing position, he added; "I had a long day, I'm really tired."

"That's ok." Relena whispered, standing to place a quick kiss on his cheek. "Sweet dreams."

"Yeah." Showing Relena to the door, Heero slowly made his way to his room. He turned on the bedroom light, his eyes automatically going to the small Gameboy on the floor.

"Damn it, Duo!" he cussed as he kicked the instrument across the room. Looking at his unkempt bed, Heero knew that sleep would be impossible. He sulked downstairs and sprawled out on the couch. The clock on the VCR read 11; Duo got off work an hour ago. Heero punched the pillow when he realized that Duo hadn't stopped by his place to change. Relena probably had something to do with it, but that still did not ease his mind. 'He could have went to Hilde's house instead.' his mind suggested. 'You know, Duo always mentioned that she was a really cute girl.'

"She's just a friend." Heero moaned as he grabbed a throw pillow and attempted to suffocate himself with it.

'Well, so is Wufei. . .'

"What about Trowa, huh? And that new kid. . . Quatre."

'Ah, ha! You're making yourself jealous!'

"Who Duo dates is none of my business!"

'Then why do you care so much?'

"Why am I still conscious?" he mumbled into the pillow as he pressed it closer to his face.

'Yeah, why do you care? I'd really like to know. . .'  


******************************************************  
*******FRIDAY******

"Okay, everybody!" Duo yelled over the loud murmur of students. "Hope you had a great week! We've got a few notes to run by you and then will get to the suggestions. Wu-baby. . ."

"I will hurt y-"

"I couldn't help it!" he interrupted. Leaning across the table, he flicked his thumb in Wufei's direction. "Ladies, if one of you would please take him out for a date? He likes 'em tough-"

"This is not a social hour." the Chinese teen interrupted.

"Okay, okay. I promise I won't bug you anymore today, sweetie-fei." Duo swore as he handed Wufei a clipboard. 

"Announcements." Wufei shouted gruffly as he stood. "Mrs. Noin has confirmed that the prom site will be in the ballroom at the Aston Hotel. The Friends of WHS have also decided to take over all after prom events, so that committee is no longer available to students. This will be replaced by a Set-up Crew. They will be responsible for the overall look of prom. Committee members who are already on committees may sign up."

"Please do!" Hilde sang from her chair. "Less work for us!"

After shooting a warning glare at Hilde, Wufei continued reading from the clipboard. "Decorating for the prom will be 2-3 days before the event, so all are encouraged to attend. Mrs. Noin?"

"Thank you, Wufei." the tall woman stood and walked to the center of the cafeteria. "This weekend we will be having DJ auditions for the prom. I got two very excellent bids and I thought it would be best for you to decide which one I'll hire. Our first DJ will be auditioning tonight in the gym at 7 pm until 9, and the second DJ will be on Saturday at the same time. It will be a party of sorts."

"The catch is," Duo interrupted, "you'll have to pay $2 to get in. The money will pay for the audition time and the extra will go into our budget."

"So bring your friends!" Mrs. Noin finished cheerfully. Nodding to the head table, she returned to her seat at the end of the cafeteria.

"Well, that's all the boring business we got for today!" Duo stood and grabbed the clipboard. "Who has themes?" he asked. Hands flew in the air. "Great! We will start with Wufei and work our way around."

"Something in the Air" Wufei grumbled. Duo nodded and wrote the name down.

"Okay, Hilde?"

"Can you feel the love tonight!" she exclaimed. The two teens shared a brief knowing glance before bursting into fits of laughter.

"That's a good one! I'll kick you later. . . um Q."

"Time of Your Life."

"K. . . ah Tro. No theme, gotcha. Watch those hands under the table. . . just kidding! Quick blushing, Q! Um, Natalie."

"A Night of Stars."

"But I liked Star Gazing, better!" a girl snapped next to her. Duo shrugged and wrote down the suggestion. Heero watched in amazement as Duo went around the large room, almost identifying every student by name. He still felt a twinge of anger every time Duo paused to joke around with someone.

"Still in Love." 

"River of Dreams."

"Heero?" Duo asked as the entire room seemed to turn and look at the person in question. Heero's mind froze, he hadn't thought of a theme yet. Searching his memory to the night he had went through prom themes, he couldn't think of a single one. 

'That song on the radio, dumbass! What was it?'

"I don't know." he murmured, his voice barely crossing the room.

'. . .Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling; soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. . .'

"A Whole New World!" he said loudly, his eyes widening as he realized that thought wasn't kept to himself. He looked up guiltily at Duo, his friend grinning wildly.

"I told ya Disney worked!" he applauded. "Funny, that was my theme pick. [3]" Duo paused as he heard Hilde giggling behind him. "I'll write it down twice." he told her sternly before returning to the task at hand. "Relena?"

"Truly. Madly. Deeply."

Duo raised an eyebrow, but continued on. He went around the room and then briefly scanned the list. "Ok, we've got over. . . 25 themes, that's a lot to vote on. So I'm going to go through these suggestions again, and do a quick hand count vote. The top seven will be sent to the senior class cabinet to be individually approved. They will have all the seniors vote on the remaining choices and in about two weeks we will have a theme!![4]"

He then began to quickly began to go down the list, pausing just to give Hilde and Wufei a chance to count all the hands. The three all converged in a small huddle, talking as the reviewed their lists. Heero watched all this intently, wishing that he knew what they were talking about. The bell rang overhead, and judging by the resounding gasp of surprised students, Heero realized he wasn't the only one.

"Whew! Just in time for the passing period." Duo announced as he turned to the group. Everyone groaned, but made no move to leave. "Here's the final list: "A Whole New World", "Something in the Air", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "Time of Your Life", "Still in Love", "River of Dreams" and "Star Gazing"." he finished almost out of breath. Waving to everyone, Duo bent and grabbed his book bag. "See you all tonight at the party! I mean, auditions."

"Duo!" a familiar female voice sang as she ran up to him. 'The people I've been trying to avoid!'

"Relena." he acknowledged as he turned to face the couple. Giving a brief nod of hello to Heero, he began to walk to his class.

"Look, I wanted to apologize about what happened at the last meeting." She said, grabbing onto his arm.

"Don't worry about it, I forgive you." he said as he spun on his heel again, this time placing his hands on his hips. "Anything else before I'm late?"

"So," she bristled, tightening her grip on Heero's arm. "I was thinking that maybe you and Hilde would like to carpool with us to the party."

"I heard my name." Hilde said, popping her head through Duo's arm. He grinned and looked down at her, pausing to tap her on the nose.

"Relena has invited to take you to the party tonight." he informed her as he pushed her backwards. Using his braid for leverage, she stood, causing him to wince slightly. "Don't worry about me, Princess, I'm staying at the school all day." he told Relena before waving goodbye to Heero and walked away.

"You don't mind picking me up at work?" Hilde asked cheerfully.

"Sure, no problem!" the blond girl replied with the same amount of enthusiasm. "Maybe the four of us could go to dinner afterwards?"

"Sounds like fun?" she answered slowly. Hilde noticed that Duo and Heero had not said one word to each other, and that even now Heero was being more quiet than usual. Looking at his face, she could tell he was angry about something. And Relena being friendly to Hilde was just strange.

Another plot was afoot, and Hilde was going to get to the bottom of it.

*******************************************************************

"Play, come on DJ play that song, play it all night long!" Duo sang as he danced out of the bathroom. After a long debate, he had unbraided his hair. After brushing out the tangles, his locks flowed behind him in soft waves. Since he didn't have time to go home and change, he opted to raid Heero and Hilde's locker. Duo himself was amazed that out of all the locker combinations he knew, none of them belonged to his own. Fifteen minutes later and he was wearing a tight black shirt and a silver chain around his neck. His dark black slacks were slightly baggy, and somewhat wrinkled at the ankles, but all around had the desired effect. Going out on a limb, he lightly lined his eyes with Hilde's dark eyeliner. Leaning against the ticket table, Duo leaned and whispered into a sleeping person's ear. "So, how do I look?"

The ear's owner shot up and blinked at him. "Androgynous."

"Haha, very funny." Duo snapped as he sat down beside Wufei, and briefly pondered if the eye make-up was a bit much.

"You look perfectly fine, Maxine."

"Oh! Did I hear an insultus offnamus? I'm dost impressed Wu-bear." he joked as he leaned back in his chair, his feet coming to rest on the table.

"Well, Du-nothing, he'll be impressed either way." Wufei stated. Duo choked on the air he had been inhaling and fell backward.

"What?" he coughed from the floor.

"You heard me." his friend said as Duo returned to his seat. "It's pretty obvious."

"That's not good." Duo moaned as he pounded his head on the table. Sitting up abruptly, he turned to face Wufei in shock. "Wait, you've known all this time?"

"What? You being gay, or something about someone else?" he challenged. Getting no response, Wufei rolled his eyes and began counting the moneybox. "I just find it very sad, and extremely annoying. If you want something, just go for the damn thing. Fine! Just sit there and feel sorry for yourself. Heero can be miserable with Relena, and you can live the shitty single life. I could care less either way."

"I love you for saying that, but it's not so easy." Duo sighed as he waved to the students entering the building.

"Pathetic."

********************************************

Heero heard the loud, throbbing bass beat from outside the gym doors. Hilde and Relena were gossiping loudly. Relena looked stylish wearing a black mini-skirt and sleeveless white blouse with a matching jacket. Hilde was clubbed out in slinky black bell bottom pants and one of those diagonal strap top in a dark navy color. How they stayed warm in such cold weather was beyond him. Heero however wore a pair of baggy blue jeans and a large jersey shirt.

He opened the door for the two and then quickly walked inside, reveling in the warmth of the hallway. Looking at the ticket booth, his eyes widened. Duo was sitting on the table talking to some classmates, his usually braided hair billowing around him. Hilde squealed at this, and Duo turned to look at the group. His eyes bowled Heero over, the lashes seemed darker somehow; it made his violet-blue eyes seem unnaturally bright.

"Four dollars." Heero heard Wufei instruct him. He blindly fished in his pocket for the money. He jumped as he felt something brush his leg. It was Hilde; she had crawled under the table to get inside.

"Cabinet members pay too." Wufei snapped.

"No fun." she pouted as she tossed him the money. Grabbing Duo's arm, she pulled him from the table and dragged him into the dark gymnasium.

"Ok, the teachers are watching the floor, so I'll man the table." Mrs. Noin said, walking up to the table. Wufei shrugged threw in his two dollars and left. "Hey, Heero and Relena, don't you two look nice!" the principal added as she sat in Wufei's seat.

"Thank you!" Relena gushed as she ushered Heero past the table.

********************************************************************

"Watch out!" Hilde shouted in Duo's ear, dancing as close as she dared.

"What?" He yelled back leaning forward to make the gap between them smaller. She was slowly beginning to regret dancing this close to the blaring speakers, but it was the darkest area in the already dim room and she didn't want a certain pair to spot them.

"Relena's got something planned, and I don't know what!" she screamed.

"Huh?" he screamed back.

"Oh, never mind!"

"This isn't Third Eye Blind! Matchbox Twenty!"

Hilde shook her head in frustration and stomped towards the refreshment table. Duo shrugged and began to dance toward the crowd in the center to the gym. She watched him from the table, her friend drawing attention immediately. No one could deny that he could dance--she learned everything she knew from him and vice versa. He seemed to be dancing with as many guys as he was the girls; though she figured that with the dim lighting and flashing lights, it was hard to tell whether he was a girl or not. Even still, some of those guys knew Duo and danced anyway; that's just what she admired about her friend. The music died down again and just as she was about to warn him, she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder.

"Hilde?" Heero asked as he turned and grabbed two cups from the table. "How's Duo? I haven't talked much to him lately."

"He's fine." She admitted as she leaned against the table. A slow song was currently playing, and Duo took this chance to get a drink of water. Running up to the table, he took the nearest cup and gulped it down. "It's spiked." Hilde stated.

"Good!" Duo laughed as he looked over at Heero. "You will be joining us on the dance floor tonight?"

"Maybe later." he answered. Relena joined them at the table, taking her juice from Heero's hand and putting her free arm around his waist.

"This is an interesting party Duo!"

"The whole fundraising audition thing was his idea." Hilde added with a hint of pride.

"Congratulations, I think you might have a success."

"We won't know till the night is over." Duo admitted as he grabbed for another cup.

"Well, Heero," Relena said as she set her cup in the trash, "it's a slow dance and it's halfway over. Let's go dance."

"Fine."

"Interesting couple." Hilde said as she leaned on Duo's shoulder. Duo nodded slightly. "What I was trying to tell you is that Relena's trying to make Heero mad at you, watch out."

"I know that already." he snapped, crumpling the paper cup in his hand and tossing it in the trash. "That's why I've been avoiding him."

"You idiot!" she scolded him with a punch in the arm. "That's what she's hoping for! Be yourself! Who knows, it might even work to your advantage."

"It's not that-"

"You're starting to sound like a broken record."

"Ok, teachers leave the room for this next one!" the DJ announced after the song ended. "You don't wanna be in here, trust me. I already told Mrs. N, and she said to lets say you were here, but don't be." he compromised. The teachers shrugged, and, being that it was the weekend they got their paychecks, left the room. "Alright! Crowd around kiddos, you're gonna love me, Dan the Man, for this one. Let's get all the freaks out here for one dance! That's right! I know you're out there! I'm your judge, but you be the jury, cuz this is gonna be a contest. Who's the biggest freak on the dance floor? Let me see you groove!"

Hilde grabbed Duo's arm as the slow steady tempo began. "You heard the man, freak!"

**********************************************************************

"This is. . ." Relena scoffed as she looked out on the darkened floor. "It looks like a big. . . orgy out there or something. With your friend in the middle of it."

Heero nodded, he had been watching Duo ever since his raven-haired friend dragged him out onto the floor. The way those two danced, their hips moving in time with the music, Hilde practically blending into Duo's body. . . Heero wanted to scream. The pair danced together for a short while, laughing and singing along to the music when Duo spotted Wufei next to them.

"Look at them! That's just. . .ew! Is he dancing with Wufei now?"

Spinning, he put his hands on Wufei's waist and dipped him, then turned him towards the girl he was dancing with. Slapping Wufei's behind, Duo grabbed Hilde's hand and then began to dance around the crowd, pausing when they reached Trowa and Quatre. The two were facing each other; Quatre had an arm draped lazily across Trowa's shoulders. His slightly taller dance partner had his arm around his waist, moving Quatre along to the beat, never taking their eyes off of each other.

Duo switched places with Trowa, mimicking his every move as Trowa danced rather seductively with Hilde. Eventually they returned the couple back to their original positions, only to latch themselves onto them from behind. Heero grinned at the sight, quickly likening the image to that of a sandwich.

"Are you even listening to me?" Relena shouted. She had been talking through the entire song, and he hadn't even said a word to her.

Heero grinned as he heard Duo's voice above the speakers, singing along to the music.

"If you're sexy and you know it clap your hands!!" Duo sang as he began to clap along to the music. Breaking free of the group, he began to dance by himself. "If you're sexy and you know it and you really wanna show it, if you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!"

"Well, if you want to be out there so much, then go on, see if I care."

**********************************************************************

Duo was out of breath. Turning to watch the other couples around him, he began to slowly rotate his hips in a circular S-motion. It was the simplest move he knew that he could do without stopping entirely. He shook his damp hair back and grinned. Duo almost began to sing along to the song again when he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist. Mistaken identity again. "Hate to burst you're bubble man," Duo began when the arm drew him closer, "what are you doing?"

"Making someone jealous." a low voice whispered behind him. He froze entirely as Heero took one of Duo's hands and placed it behind his neck.

"Oh." Duo managed to croak out. The two began to move in time to the music, but dancing this close was a little too much for Duo to bear. There was no question this time that Heero was enjoying this as much as Duo was, but he still thought nothing of it. Hilde taught him well.  
Maybe Hilde wasn't joking when she said that the punch had been spiked, because he certainly felt drunk. He could imagine sick jerks snickering in some dark corner, one whispering to the other, "Guess who else I gave the punch to?"

At any rate, he knew the song was ending and that space needed to be established. Turning around, Duo threw both his arms around Heero's neck and took a few steps back.

"Is it working?" Duo whispered. He gripped Heero's shoulders, all thought leaving him.

"Ummm." Heero murmured as he looked into Duo's eyes. "I don't know, is it?"

'He looks like he wants to kiss me.' Duo's mind screamed as he blinked at Heero quizzically. He felt Heero's grasp around his waist tightening, and the gap between them grew smaller. Then a bright light blinded them both. "We have a winner!" Dan the Man yelled. "You with the long hair! You little freak, you've been all over the place. Come over here!"

"Gotta meet my public." Duo said with a wink before running towards the DJ.

 **TBC**

**Footnotes**:   
**[1]** Monty Python rules!! Saying no more. . .  
** [2] ** The place Duo works is Applebee-ish in nature, so for those who have ever hosted or had the misfortune to work there as a host, all the mentioned things are true (right down to the insane nosy bartender).  
** [3]** The winner of the theme guessing contest was Katu!! *claps wildly* Unfortunately, I'm not a great fanartist and my prizes kinda suck. . .I have a nice little plaque waiting for you, I just need your e-mail addy. ^_^  
** [4]** I wonder who the senior cabinet's going to be. . . it surely isn't me! (hey, a rhyme). Well I couldn't make up my mind, so I decided to let the reader's vote. Go to [here][1] to vote. The poll will last for about a week. Thankies and huggies in advance!!  
Musical Note: The songs that Duo sang: "Play" by Jennifer Lopez, and "Dance With Me" by 112. I have no permission either.

   [1]: http://anthysrosegarden.tripod.com/poll.html



	5. Part 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gundam Wing. This is all for entertainment purposes only. 

**Author's Note:** Okay, parts of this chapter got a little angsty and 3+4 centered. Duo and Heero are still my main guys, but they get a breather here. Offensive language and discrimination rampant too, I apologize for it now. I was leery of putting it in such a light fic, but I felt it added to the plot. Thankies to ReiAkari (who's still in SC) for the suggestion. 

Thankies to Shi-chan, Sony_Mouse and Lechara, and all those who pestered me daily to finish this chapter. I give a handful of Smarties to the 50+ people who voted for the prom theme. ^_^ 

Of course a huggie goes out to my beta Lady Tora. A big hug to my online sister D.C. who I call L_ _ _, who is my temp muse and sometimes goes by Mysti. ^_^ 

Prom Planning Part 5  
by Anthy

Duo looked around at the slowly filling cafeteria with a hint of annoyance. Just like every Friday morning, the prom committees were just entering the double doors. The students were as groggy and disappointed as usual, save for the occasional morning people. Unfortunately for the junior class president, today was "different". 

_'Game day, whoo-hoo. . .'_ he yawned inwardly as his violet eyes scanned the room. It was a sea of blue t-shirts, matching hair ties, letter jackets--almost anything that could be deemed apparel was either royal blue or black. _'At least we didn't have Spirit Week.'_

_'Are you sure about that, low spirit boy?'_ his mind taunted as Trowa came walking in with a large thin blanket wrapped around his body and pinned at his shoulder. 

"Toga day for the seniors?" he mused. "Why couldn't our basketball team suck like other schools? At least then I could be apathetic in peace." Feeling someone prod him in the shoulder, he turned to see Hilde sitting down beside him. She was clad in the blue V shell top that all the cheerleaders wore along with the unnecessarily short pleated skirt. She fought with it for a moment before pulling a pair of tear-away pants out of her book bag and slipping them on. 

"Sad," she tsked, "doesn't even participate in Spirit Week. Have you any school spirit?" 

"I do!" he countered. Reaching into Hilde's bag, he unearthed a sticker emblazoned with the school logo. He slapped it onto his shoulder and shrugged. "Go school." 

"Quiz," Wufei interjected as he sat in a nearby chair and began to pull out papers from his bag, "who are we playing tonight?" 

"Peyton Prep." Duo answered with a smile. "Go team!" 

"You mean, go Heero." Wufei and Hilde corrected him, both shooting devious looks to the other before bowing their heads. 

"That's not funny!" he hissed as his cabinet began to hold back laughter. "Someone could have heard you!" 

Wufei, after taking a moment to regain his composure, began to scan the room. "Almost everyone is here. I think we should-" 

"Wait!" Hilde screamed. She pushed her chair back and jumped from her seat. The room quieted from the noise and turned to stare at the three. Running up to Wufei, she slapped a blue sticker on his back. "I just noticed you were not wearing blue this morning, that's all." 

"Well, now that my dear friend scared us all senseless into wearing blue and that everyone is now wide awake," Duo announced to the group as he stood, "we can start the meeting. Hilde?" 

"Hey Wildcats!" she said loudly as she stood with her clipboard. After a moment, she furrowed her brow. "Wildcats!?" she asked again. 

"Yeah?" the room loudly answered back. 

"You want a DJ?" 

"Yeah!" 

"You want a DJ?" she shouted. 

"Yeah!" 

"Well, you got your DJ." she said normally causing the room to laugh and cheer. "Your votes all went to 'Dan the Man', but he had to promise no more contests. He still has more fun in store for us, so don't despair. Thank you so much to all who came and voted. We had tons of money left over, so this year's prom is going to be amazing!" 

"Cute cheer." Duo commented dryly as she sat down beside him. Slapping Duo lightly with the clipboard, she handed it to him. He stood and began to address the room. "We're going to make this meeting real short so that certain people, *cough* cheerleaders *cough*, can get ready for the rally at the end of the day. Wu-wildcat?" 

"Coronation nominations Monday." Wufei growled as he rolled his eyes. "We got a caterer, food tastes expensive but cheap. . . senior cabinet selected the theme, and Duo's going to di-" 

"Tell you what the theme is!" Duo interrupted, jumping up from his seat to give Wufei an impromptu hug. "The senior cabinet just adored "A Whole New World" and they voted for that along with the prom's colors. I do believe it's purple and gold. That's it for today, see everyone at the game!" 

Heero stood at the end of Duo's announcement and began to make his way out into the hallway. He had no need to linger . . . at least not in the cafeteria anyway. Relena walked beside him, her arm hooked around his elbow. The plastic from her blue and white pompoms swished as she swung her free arm, the loud noise more distracting than his inner voice. 

_'Too bad she's no longer mad at you.'_ his mind complained. Heero's antics at the party had done its job of making Relena mad: she left the party before the song had ended. She didn't even talk to him the rest of the weekend. Again, Duo stepped in to play mediator, and she had resolved all of her issues three days later. Reaching his locker, Heero leaned against it. Why did Duo help him patch up problems with a girl, especially one Duo didn't like? Why didn't Heero stop him in the first place? 

"I've got to go to the rally rehearsal." Relena told him hurriedly as she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Do you think I can wear your jacket? It's chilly in here." 

He took his jacket off his shoulders and handed it to her. The basketball coach insisted that his players dress up professionally the day of the game, so he wore his pressed slacks and a semi-formal white shirt. A blue and black diagonal-striped necktie hung around his neck. 

"I'm so lucky to have such a handsome boyfriend," she cooed, before brushing her lips lightly across his. She stepped away from him and looked into his eyes. "What would I do if you weren't here with me?" she added softly, slipping on the heavy letter jacket. 

"You'd be late," he answered, a small smile crossing his lips. A small chill passed through her. Even though he smiled, something just didn't seem right. He seemed completely unaffected by the kiss; it was as if he had been kissed by a wall instead of the girl he loved. 

_'I'm imagining things,'_ she scolded herself as she waved and began her trek to the gym. He returned the wave, but still leaned against the locker. 

"Relena! Wait up!" Hilde yelled behind her, causing her to stop and turn around. Looking down the hallway, she saw that Heero had not moved from his locker. Students walked by and he watched them. Some waved and he nodded back, but he made no move toward his homeroom. Suddenly he stood, and she saw that Duo had bounded up to the locker, Quatre and Trowa walking side by side a few steps behind him. 

Relena remembered the way the blond had danced at the party with his friend, but the way they acted towards each other at school was completely different. There were rumors buzzing around that they were seeing each other, but no one was sure in what way. She finally concluded that the two were just friends, they had to be. Heero and Duo had danced just as close at that party, and nobody was accusing them of anything. Were they? Friends, that's all that there was to it. If Quatre and Trowa were more than friends, and the way they acted at school was the way her Heero did when around Duo. . . 

"Yo! La Captaina?" Hilde said as she jumped in front of Relena, their heads bumping. "You still with us?" 

"Oh! I just was thinking about something . . ." she murmured. The four boys crowded around the two lockers, Heero talking to Trowa, Duo joking around with Quatre. 

"Well stop staring at your boyfriend and come on!" the dark-haired girl exclaimed as she pulled Relena's arm. 

_'That's right, Heero's *MY* boyfriend. He loves *ME*. He has too . . . doesn't he?' _

********************************************************************** 

"Hey Q, wearing enough blue?" Duo rhymed as he slapped his friend on the shoulder. Quatre laughed. Looking out of the corner of his eye, Duo could see Heero and Trowa talking about the game. Shrugging, the longhaired teen turned and began to twist the dial on Heero's locker. Opening it, he pulled out the blue sash from the corner of it. The sash was the prize from the contest, the word "School Freak" stamped on the front and back. Duo closed the locker door and threw the sash around his shoulders. 

"You're not going to wear that, are you?" Quatre asked with a chuckle. 

"It's blue." Duo and Heero said at the same time. Trowa grinned at the two and walked up to Quatre. The younger teen's eyes widened slightly, unsure of what Trowa was going to do. It was frustrating to no end, the more he tried to get close to Quatre at school, the further he got pushed away. Only when they were alone was it a different story and Quatre would not tell him why. 

"Do you want me to walk you to class?" Trowa asked in a low voice. Quatre lowered his head. 

"No, that's all right," he murmured. "I'll see you at the rally." 

"See you at the rally." Trowa echoed as Quatre walked away, his head still downcast. 

"Where's he running off to?" Duo asked while Trowa watched Quatre walk briskly down the hallway. 

"Away from me." 

Duo blinked as Trowa nodded tersely to the both of them and walked in the opposite direction to class. 

"Man, the tension's so thick you could cut it up and serve it on a plate," he commented as he leaned against the locker. 

"Prognosis?" Heero asked as he leaned against Quatre's locker door. 

"It's obvious Quatre has issues, probably that whole being gay thing, and he's not telling Trowa about it. I'm guessing that neither has had a boyfriend before and has no clue what to do about it. Poor saps. Judging by the party last week, Tro gets some . . . not that! Don't give me that look . . . just something pretty damn close to gettin' some. Lucky bastard, Q's kinda cute." 

"I think you're right. . .no, wait a minute. He's not cute at all." 

"Yes, he is!" Duo argued mildly, "But Wuffie's hotter. Actually, Hilde looks mighty nice in the short skirt, has those legs and everything! Jealous yet?" 

"Insanely." Heero stated before walking towards homeroom. Duo grinned and followed suit. 

Duo knew when Heero was being serious. . . and he was just then. Heero's odd behavior last week suddenly made sense. Relena wasn't trying to make Heero mad at him; she was making him jealous! Looked like her plan backfired in a way. . . 

_'Hello! Earth to Duo Maxwell!'_ his mind screamed, causing him to stop walking. _'Are you even listening to yourself?'_

"I try not to." he murmured as he continued to surge forward. 

_'Do I need to spell it out for you? H-E-E-R-O. . . W-A-S. . . J-E-A-L-O-U-S. . .'_

"Only because I was avoiding him and spending time with everyone else. He's spending more time with me, and that's that." 

_'Spelling more: J-E-A-L-O-U-S. . . O-F. . . O-T-H-E-R . . . G-U-Y-S'_

"Don't forget Hilde," he irritably said, running into Heero's back. They had reached homeroom and Duo didn't notice one bit. 

"What about her?" 

Duo laughed lamely and scratched the back of his head. "Oh! I was making a mental note. . .Don't forget Hilde forgot to drop off the notes from this morning's meeting." 

"Oh." Heero shrugged and entered the room. 

"I'm just going to go and drop off these notes!" Duo sang from the doorway to the teacher. The man nodded and waved him away. Walking away from the classroom, Duo let out a deep breath and leaned against the locker. He had nowhere to go. . . it was Wufei's job to turn in meeting notes. "I'll just visit my favorite principal! Yeah! That's it." 

_'When hiding from a student, go to the last place they'd want to be. . . why are you hiding again?'_

********************************************************************** 

_'Thank God it's over.'_ Trowa thought as he sat in his assigned chair on the edge of the gym floor. The rally that took place instead of his last hour was just as dull as going to class, except with yelling cheerleaders and screaming students. They all clapped and cheered as the varsity squad started the show by running across the floor in their uniforms, each making a flawless shot into the basket. Heero had purposely threw his basketball against the backboard, Trowa flipped into the air, caught the airborne ball before slamming it down the hoop. He hung from the rim briefly as the crowd roared and jumped to their feet--that was a little interesting. 

The rest of the assembly read the same as the last. Each club and organization that had something interesting to share took turns at the mic, the cheerleaders and the dance team each had routines to show. Trowa always saw their performances as a competition to prove which squad was better: the short-skirted screamers who threw members in the air; and the silent dancers in bell-bottoms who liked to twirl on their toes and do fancy splits. In reality, they were pretty much the same. 

Then Mrs. Noin did her traditional speech on how students, faculty and family members were to behave at the game. She reminded them all that their attendance to the game was a privilege and not to abuse it by taunting and booing the other team. Signaling the school band, she dismissed classes for the day. Students stood and rushed towards the gym doors. 

_'Looks like a stampede trying to leave a burning building,'_ Trowa thought as he began to gather his things. _'They always seem to forget about the exit on the other side of the building.'_

"Trowa!" Quatre exclaimed as he ran up to the small crowd of basketball players. The blond youth was grinning ear to ear, his eyes bright with excitement. If anything, it seemed that he was wearing even more blue than this morning. Along with the oversized blue T-shirt and black pants, Quatre now had blue ribbons tied around his neck and wrists. Cornflower blue crepe paper was wrapped around his waist like a belt, a long end of it trailing behind him. To top things off every part of his exposed pale skin was covered in a thin sheen of blue body glitter. 

Trowa couldn't help but laugh. "What happened to you?" He asked as he picked up the smaller boy and spun him around. 

"My last class got bored," Quatre laughed as he hit Trowa's arm. "You should see the other guy." 

"Enjoy the rally?" he asked as he tried to pull Quatre into a deeper hug. The other teen laughed nervously and stepped away. 

"You were wonderful," Quatre said softly, "about the game. . . um, I don't think I'll be able to make it." 

"Why?" 

"Trowa, the captain's wants to have a short meeting!" Marc, the team's manager yelled before beginning to pester other team members. Quatre jumped at the sound of the other boy's voice, and stepped even farther away from him. 

"I. . . um, . . .I have to go. . . t-to a dinner thing. I'll try to make it, b-but I wanted to um, wish you good luck." the object of Trowa's affection managed to whisper out. Quatre's eyes remained downcast; Trowa stepped forward quickly and placed a hand on the smaller teen's shoulder. 

"Duo invited the gang to his job afterward for free appetizers." Trowa murmured softly, reaching out to grasp Quatre's chin lightly. He tilted Quatre's head up so that he could look into his eyes. "Maybe you can meet us there?" 

"Sure!" Quatre gushed nervously, a bright smile crossing his features. Leaning his head sideways, he began to walk backward. "I've got to wash some of this glitter off, so I'll-" 

Before Quatre could finish his sentence, Trowa took advantage of his hand being on the other boy's shoulder. Holding him still, he took a large step forward and kissed him. "See you later," he murmured seconds later. At least Quatre didn't push him away, that kiss was just as good as ones they had shared before. Quatre stared at him in disbelief before looking past Trowa's shoulder. Trowa watched as Quatre blushed and waved weakly to the teammates who were gawking at the two. 

"Oh, fuck it," Quatre muttered to himself. Suddenly, just before Trowa could gasp at such uncharacteristic phrase, Quatre wrapped his arms around the taller teen's neck and kissed him soundly. "I'll see you tonight at the game, Trowa." he added firmly before walking away from the stunned teen. Skipping backwards, Quatre paused to wave and blow a kiss to his teammates, who were now standing next to him. The other boys waved before turning on their friend. 

"Trowa. . . man!" Nick, his loudmouth lunch mate said as he slung an arm around Trowa's shoulder. "Why didn't ya tell us?" 

"I thought we were your homies, and you holding out on us!" Jay cried, pointing to Quatre's retreating back. "What up with that?" 

"Guys, I didn't mean to-" 

"_She's_ hot!" Nick exclaimed, giving Trowa a playful shove. 

Jay nodded and began to shake his finger in front of Trowa's face in mock disapproval. "You hogging the new girl all to yourself, and you ain't gonna share." he tsked, beginning to walk away. 

"Quatre's not-" Trowa started. 

"She got a sister?" interrupted another teammate who had been eavesdropping. 

"But Quatre's a-" 

"Nah, nah. . . we wanna know. Just answer yes or no. Does your girl got sisters?" Nick prodded eagerly. 

"Yes." Trowa stated matter-of-factly. Quatre had tons of sisters--he was the only brother among them. "I'm trying to tell you Quatre's-" 

"Shy? Yeah, we got that. Think you can hook one of us up?" 

"Trowa's trying to tell you that Quatre's not his girlfriend." Heero said as he walked past the group, a basketball tucked under his shoulder. "He-" 

"Damn, man!" Jay exclaimed, running up to the group. "Don't tell me you two are just friends!" Heero shook his head and gave Trowa a look that read: _'If you can't teach them. . . why try?'_ Walking past his teammates, Trowa and Heero walked out of the gym towards the locker room in silence. 

"Think you might hook me up then?" a voice yelled after them. 

******************************************************************** 

"You have got to be kidding me!" Duo groaned as he flipped through the thick catalog. The massive book was about as large as a phone directory, each page filled with brightly colored pictures of various prom decorations and party favors. Duo was currently sprawled out on Heero's bed swaddled under a pile of blankets. "None of these theme sets have anything that goes with our theme!" 

"What did you expect?" Heero asked from his spot at the computer desk, his eyes still glued to the computer screen. 

"One 'A Whole New World' theme kit!" he snapped playfully, throwing a pillow at Heero's head. 

"That means you'll have more creative freedom." 

"That means more work." Duo whined, burrowing deeper in the blankets. "Maybe I can ask someone in the art department for ideas. . . yeah! That's what I'll do! Maybe the drama department would design the lights and the theme set on page 107 could be easily altered but those damn cardboard things have got to go. Hey! Maybe we could use. . ." 

Heero turned around to watch Duo jump up from his blanket cave. He began to pace on Heero's bed, ranting and raving as he flipped through the thick catalog. 

". . . cheap looking box hat with the fur all over it? I'm not having the prom king wear that shit on my watch!" Duo complained five minutes later, finally sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed. "If we got to spend big bucks on those pretty sparkle-filled tiaras for the ladies, why does the king get no love? He gets a cheap cardboard box covered in felt. Now these metallic babies are a sight to behold!" he exclaimed as he passed the catalog for Heero to look at the picture. "I might even run myself." 

"You're a junior." 

"So technical." he playfully pouted. "No crown for you then." 

"I'm a junior." 

"No fun." 

"Those crowns are traditional Duo." Heero said as he passed the catalog back to Duo. He turned back to the computer and continued his work. "Plus they are cost effective. I doubt Mrs. Noin will let you order them." 

"Who can resist the Maxwell charm?" he argued. He sauntered over to Heero's chair and draped an arm around Heero's shoulders. "Just a little doe eyes . . . a devil-may care smile. . . and I'm in." 

"If you insist . . ." 

"So tense!" Duo interrupted. He began to squeeze Heero's shoulders lightly, and at the same time began to read over the paper that the other teen had posted on the screen. "It's just another game." 

"It is still something to take seriously." Heero counted, reaching up to place his hands over Duo's. 

"You have to have a little fun, or why play at all?" Duo scolded. Giving Heero's shoulders one last squeeze; he reached for the foam basketball sitting on the side of his desk. "Tell you what, how about a one-on-one pre-game match up? Maxwell vs. Yuy." 

"I have to be at the school in 2 hours." 

"It'll be fun!" he pleaded as he walked over to the small hoop hanging from the door. "If I win, I'll pester Mrs. Noin into getting the metallic crowns for the king." 

Heero stared at him for a moment. "If I win?" 

"I'll leave it be." 

"No." 

"I'll wear all blue to the gaaame." Duo sang, running up to tug on Heero's arm. 

"That and you'll get your face painted at the cheerleader booth before the game." Heero added smugly. The braided teen's confidence faltered slightly at the thought of having Relena drawing on his face, but a bet was a bet. 

A bet he did not intend to lose. 

"You're on!" 

********************************************************************* 

Quatre walked down the crowded hallway and already regretted being there. Ever since he had learned that WHS was up against Peyton Prep, he had lost his nerve. Once those students found out he was here. . . 

Quatre still didn't understand why he froze up in school whenever Trowa was near. He wanted their relationship to be kept under wraps, more for Trowa's sake than his. No one knew that the other boy was gay, most of the school knew nothing about him beyond his talents in the sports area. Quatre's fear was that their opinions might change, just like his old friends did when he broke the news. He was afraid to tell anyone at this new school of his past, his preference, and anything about him as a person. So far no one knew much about him, he barely talked to students unless they talked to him and he stuck closely to the people he met the first day. 

It was hard. In the beginning of his relationship with Trowa, he had been so blinded by the boy that he had slipped. First was the date to the restaurant, and visits to Trowa's older sister's house. They almost made out in the middle of a dance floor no less. It was just the way Trowa acted, nonchalant towards the world that did not apply to him. For a few days, Quatre felt the same way. When he was in Trowa's arms, nothing in this unfair world mattered but that moment. His heart always ached whenever they were apart, his heart warmed whenever he thought of Trowa's name. He never in his life imagined feeling this close to anyone; each day he longed to be even closer. Then they made the mistake of telling how much they cared about the other. To be simply put, they were in love. 

Then the doubt and past fears that plagued him returned. What if what happened to him would be just as terrible for Trowa? In love or not, nothing could change the fact that they were both men, and he had no clue how the world would respond to that. He wasn't naive like the days at Peyton; people were not as accepting and as tolerant as they said they were. 

_'The world is just unfair.'_

He decided to downplay their romance, try and pass as just being friends. It was harder than he thought it would be. Just today, in class during seminar, a group of girls crowded around him and began to fire questions. He heard them all before, they were no different from the Peyton girls. Only this time he knew better, keep his mouth shut and tell them what they wanted to hear. Then he offered to be their mannequin the rest of the class period. To bad they didn't catch the subtle hints that he always managed to throw out. He had been so frustrated that when Trowa had kissed him and ruined what he tried so vainly to conceal. . . 

When he shared that kiss with Trowa, he had been surprised at the looks that the teammates gave them. They seemed happy for their friend, even a little envious. He was elated . . . until he looked in the mirror. The glitter, sash, and ribbons had given him an almost feminine appearance. Quatre knew that none of the boys on the varsity squad would even know him since he was just a sophomore. 

_'They thought I was a girl. . .'_ he had thought. After sulking and scrubbing off the glitter until his face was pink, Quatre realized it was for the best. Trowa had to work with them after all. 

He continued to walk toward the gym doors, but paused when he saw the sight before him. Duo Maxwell, who was wearing blue sneakers, blue Adidas pants, and a bright blue WHS t-shirt; was surrounded by two cheerleaders at the fundraising table. Hilde was painting '#12' on his cheek while the other girl was braiding a blue ribbon in his hair. He did not look happy. 

"Did you lose a bet?" Quatre asked playfully. 

"Officially it was a tie, but the deal still stands." Hilde informed Quatre, a big smile on her face. 

Duo growled. "Not in the mood, La Blue Boy and Cheer Girl." he snapped as he tried to reach for the mirror in Hilde's hand. She shook her head and handed it to another girl. 

"Let's just get a spot in the cheering section, we'll blend in better that way." Quatre suggested as he pulled Duo up from his seat. "Hilde, who's number did you draw on Duo's cheek?" he whispered to the girl as Duo stomped away. 

"Shhh!" she hissed. "He thinks it is the school's initials." 

Laughing, Quatre followed Duo to the gym, both teens taking a spot in the middle of the high school's already large cheering section. Quatre wasn't lying about blending in; it was a sea of blue, greatly contrasting with the crowd of forest green at the other side of the court. 

"Land verses Water!" Duo commented. "We'll flood their asses!" 

Fifteen minutes later, the game commenced. Not a second was dull; it was a heated match. Though Peyton Prep was at the top of division, they had Trowa Barton and Heero Yuy to their disadvantage. It almost seemed as if the two boys were the only ones on the floor. At least, to the pairs of eyes watching them. 

Half time arrived soon enough, and Quatre was being dragged to the concession stand. 

"Can't we just sit and watch the dance team?" he protested, his feet killing him. Duo shook his head and continued to pull Quatre's arm. 

"If you wanna get a drink, this is your chance!" Duo argued. "Luckily for us that the dance team is so good that not many people leave to get food. All we usually have to deal with is people from the other school. . . did I say something wrong? You just went a whiter white in one second flat! Mighty impressive, Q!" 

"No, no," he said weakly as he stopped in front of the restroom line. "I'm fine. I'll wait here for you." 

"Ok, two cokes to go!" Duo asked after a moment's hesitation. "And you've got to try the nachos, man!" 

Quatre watched Duo bound toward the concession stand, his heart beating heavily in his chest. He leaned against the wall and silently prayed no one would see him. Just as he turned to look at the various plaques and signs that littered the wall, a hand clamped onto his shoulder. 

"Hey, it's fag boy!" a voice leered in his ear. 

********************************************************************* 

Duo bounced down the hallway, arms laden with various treats and sodas. 

"Duo! Duo!" a girl in his class came running up to him, her eyes wide with fear. 

"What's up?" he grinned. 

"Your friend," she gasped, "he looks like he's in trouble!" 

"Q?" 

"Yeah, the sophomore! He's surrounded by a bunch of guys from the other school, and I think they want to fight him or something." 

"Hold this." Duo stated in a low voice, depositing the armful of food in her hands. Sure enough, the blond boy was blocked by four sides by boys twice his size. Quatre stood rigid, his eyes downcast. He had his hands clenched in tight fists, and he appeared to be shaking. Duo creeped up to the group and silently listened. 

"C'mon, don't tell me you don't have a boyfriend yet!" the largest of the group sneered. 

"I don't." Quatre spat out, the phrase sounding bitter in his mouth. 

"I know you're lying." the guy cooed, "You're such a good liar. Tell me, who knows that you're a queer?" 

"No one," he whispered. 

"And why not? I think they deserve to know such a perverted bastard is among them." 

"Please, just leave me alone. I haven't done anything to you." 

"Ah! The fag's forgotten!" the guy laughed to his friends. "I guess I should remind you then." 

"Whoa! Whoa!" Duo yelled, stepping into the middle of the circle, a big smile on his face. "Hi, I'm Duo. I happen to be one of the student representatives here. Is there a problem here?" 

"Yes, there is a big problem! That thing over there is a homo." 

Duo furrowed his brow. "As in homosexual?" 

"Yes!" 

"Oh! I'm sorry I thought you were talking about the milk!" he gushed in a falsely cheery tone. "I'm sooo sorry to inform you, but you're a little too late." 

"Excuse me?" 

"For the scandal!" Duo continued his voice sugary sweet. "Someone came out last year! It was such a big fiasco! Ass-whippings and community meetings and hate messages in the locker bays, oh it was a show! He claimed to be bisexual among other atrocities. People started questioning their own sexuality. . . big ol' mess." 

"So what happened to the fag?" 

"Eh," Duo shrugged, "some other people came out, people got bored, and he became junior class president if I remember correctly. So, I'll take this young man's name, put it on our 'people to watch' list, and you just have a super day! Now you run along now boys and I'll take him straight to the principal!" 

The group stared at Duo for a minute before walking away. He stared at their backs for a long moment before erupting into a fit of laughter. 

"School for the brightest students my ass!" he gasped. "I think they took me seriously! They must not know sarcasm. Let's go find the girl with our food, I got us. . . Q?" 

He was so caught up in the moment that he forgot to check on his friend. The younger teen was hyperventilating, his hand clutched tightly to his chest. 

"Hey, hey," Duo said soothingly as he gripped Quatre's shoulders, "are you alright?" 

Quatre shook his head abruptly before sliding all the way to the floor. "I can't. . ." 

"You're gonna have to breathe here, you are starting to freak me out." he said lightly, "I'll go get the nurse if you want." 

"No!" the teen managed to croak out. People were beginning to crowd around and stare, only serving to make Quatre's fit worse. 

"Alright, man," Duo announced while helping Quatre to his feet, "let's go to a more intimate setting shall we?" 

Quatre nodded weakly as Duo led him to a nearby restroom. Once inside, the blond boy began to shake uncontrollably before sinking to the floor once more. Duo quickly ushered whomever was in the place out into the hallway, promptly locking the door. Grabbing a paper towel, he moistened it and placed it on the back of Quatre's neck. 

"Quatre, what happened?" he demanded. "If it was about those guys. . ." 

"I was just so scared. . ." Quatre whispered. 

"No shit." Duo commented as he began to pat Quatre's back. "But there's more. It's Trowa isn't it?" 

"Of course it is! Did you know at my last school I got kicked out because I told someone I was gay? I didn't even have a boyfriend, I was just sick of girls asking me out and having to make some stupid excuse to say no. So I told, and very publicly mind you. I just said 'Fuck it', stood up on a table and shouted at the top of my lungs. Look what it did for me." He said bitterly. "Got in a lot of fights. I mean, it was as if all of the jocks thought that being gay equaled wimpiness. Well, after I had sent the wrestling team's captain to the hospital for trying to bum rush me, I got expelled. He got nothing but a cast and three days suspension." 

"Who was that guy back there?" 

"The captain." 

Duo began to laugh. The thought of Quatre putting a guy that large in the hospital. . . 

_'Mental note to me: never piss Q off.'_

"You are afraid the same's gonna happen with Tro?" Duo asked, hugging his friend. Quatre nodded and Duo began to ruffle his hair. "Nah! Look, I wasn't lying back there. All the scandal, controversy and ass whippings are all back with me last year. If it wasn't for my position in StuCo, and other outings around the campus, things might've gone down the way for me the way they did for you. Sure, the rumor mills are probably having fun with you two right now, but don't worry about it." 

"What if my old school finds out?" Quatre asked mournfully. "What about the world outside the schools?" 

"It's not a cake walk, but for the one you love, it's worth it." Duo told him, pulling him up to his feet. "Is Trowa worth it?" Quatre nodded, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Aw, that's too cute." 

"Duo!" Quatre gushed and punched his friend in the arm. Suddenly there was a pounding on the door. 

"Is Quatre in there?" Trowa's urgent voice was heard from the doorway. 

Duo looked at his watch. "Two minutes. Hmm . . . didn't think the mill was that fast!" 

Unlocking the door, Trowa came rushing in. Duo shut the door quickly before prying eyes could peek in. 

"Are you ok?" Trowa whispered as he pulled Quatre close. Quatre nodded and quickly filled Trowa in on all that had been going on. "I'm so sorry Quatre, if I knew-" 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Quatre interrupted, silencing with a kiss. 

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be sick." Duo added, leaning against the doorway. "You saps." 

"Duo, you know what you have to do." Trowa stated before giving Quatre a quick hug and exited the restroom. 

"Yep, rumor duty." he said as he held the door open for him. 

"Wha-" 

"You want to keep things on the down low, on the qt and very hush, hush, right?" Duo asked before chuckling. "On the qt. . ." 

"I guess I want it kept secret for now." 

"Well, Tro wants me and Hilde to use the already current rumors to work to your advantage. As for him rushing in here, it was because word got out that his best friend got brutally beaten by the rival school and that we were waiting in the bathroom till the cops come." 

"But that didn't happen." 

"That's what he _heard_. He panicked and left the middle of the half-time meeting. Those rumor hounds should be ashamed of themselves for fabricating such a story." 

"You fabricated it." 

"And I should be ashamed of myself. I'm sooo bad." Duo said with a sniffle. Quatre began to laugh and Duo nodded smugly. "He wanted me to get you to laugh too." 

"He told you that in one sentence?" he asked sarcastically. 

"Either he's one persuasive s.o.b. or I'm winging it or some shit like that, but who cares! Problem solved! End of story! Let's go see Trowa enact revenge for his dear Quatre." 

"Okay!" Quatre cheered as they left the restroom. 

********************************************************************** 

The restaurant was crowded as usual, and Duo was thankful he did not have to work tonight. Everyone was in the mood to celebrate; the high school's win against Peyton had everyone in high spirits. He leaned forward on the tall chair and began to twist the seat, his knees constantly bumping into Heero and Wufei's legs. 

"Told you we should have gotten a booth," Wufei grumbled as Heero grabbed Duo's knees and turned him forward. Sticking out his tongue at his friend, Duo jumped up from the table and rushed back into the kitchen. Returning, he placed a basket of tortilla chips in the center of the round table. 

"Peace offering!" he said as he jumped back into his chair and began to rest his head in his hands. Letting his mind wander, he began to observe the people around him. Wufei was eating the chips, his dark brown eyes scooping the tall dirty-blond girl on the other side of the room. Relena and Hilde were disagreeing about the pyramid that had collapsed at the middle of the second half. 

"If we just did the basket toss instead-" 

"Basket-toss, smasket-tross. Who cares? We blew the big one, but we can work on it Monday. But for right now, I need my mozz sticks." 

Quatre was sandwiched between Trowa and Heero, and he was busily telling them what had happened with the boys at Peyton. He didn't give the full story, but Duo could fill Heero in later. 

_'You are such a hypocrite.'_ his mind taunted as Duo began to chew on his braid. 

"I know." he lamented. 

_'Take your own damn advice.'_

"Which is . . . ?" 

_'The one about cakes walking and doing things because someone in your life is worth it.'_

"Oh." 

_'Is Heero worth it?'_

"That's why it won't work." 

"What won't work?" Heero asked as he tapped Duo's shoulder. The braided boy jumped in his seat, his eyes widening as he realized everyone at the table was staring at him. 

"Hey, welcome back!" Hilde laughed. "You were just twisting in that chair and talking to yourself. I think you should take a break from that prom catalog." 

"Say Heero," Relena purred as she wrapped an arm around Heero's waist. "Want to go to the movies tomorrow?" 

"I can't," he said. "I promised Duo I'd help him with the invitation design and browse at the party favors." 

"That's ok. We can go on Sunday then." 

"Duo's helping me study for my chemistry exam." he stated immediately. Duo looked at Heero in shock. He sure as well knew that Heero could take that exam in his sleep. 

"Well, when are you and Duo not slated to do anything?" she asked irritably. 

"Oh, I work on Monday. He's all yours, Princess." Duo remarked cheerfully. 

"Must you call me that?" she whined. "It's so annoying." 

"He has a nickname for everybody, Relena." 

"Oh yeah, what's your nickname then?" 

"It's. . ." Heero started. "Duo, I don't have a nickname." 

"I never thought to give you one. . . " 

_'Hot buns, blue eyes, silent one. . .'_

". . . Heero." he finished, his cheeks suddenly warm. Waitresses approached the table, various dishes in their hand. 

"I guess that mean's I'm special then." Heero commented as he reached for a fork. 

"I guess so." 

_'He's worth it. . .'_

**TBC**


	6. Part 6

**Disclaimer**: See previous chapters

Prom Planning Part 6

_@--{February}--@_

Wufei sat at the drawing table in his bedroom, his dark brown eyes narrowed in deep thought. He pushed up the thin rims of his glasses and tilted his head to the side. Removing the pencil that was clenched between his teeth, he made marks on the large paper. Fifteen minutes later, he was unearthing the eraser tucked strategically behind his ear. 

"Marble vinyl, page 433," he murmured. "A lighted mural backdrop, balloons. . . a lot of balloons. Front entrance, fountain. . . should we use gossamer?" 

He reached for the nearby phone and quickly dialed. After four rings, a familiar voice boomed from the other end. 

"Yuy residence." 

"Hey Duo, it's Wufei. I need to ask you a quick question about the decorations." 

"Hey Wu! How's your art class doin' with the design?" 

"The design is basically done." he snapped irritably before looking at the drawing in front of him. "I'm just adjusting it to fit our budget." 

"Fun, fun," Duo commented lamely. 

"Look, I need to get some gossamer samples." 

"Goss-a-what samples?" 

"Do you have your catalog with you?" he asked. "Well, ask Heero if he has . . . thought so. Okay, turn to page 412. Yeeesss, that's gossamer." 

*********************************************************************** 

Relena looked up from her book angrily at the boy sitting on Heero's bed. Heero had Relena and Duo over to study, but it seemed that everyone had been content to study on their own. They sat in virtual silence, the loud ring from the telephone practically scaring them. Duo had been the only one who bothered to answer it, and apparently the phone call was intended for him. 

"Hey! This cloth-y stuff looks like it can be used for floors!" Duo continued to chat with Wufei on the phone as he flipped through the large book. "Comes in a bunch of designs too. Hey! Check out the metallic gossamerothers on page 425!" 

"Budget." Heero commented from his chair, not even bothering to look up from his textbook. 

"Hey Wu, how are we doing on the budget?" Duo asked as he pulled a sheet of paper from Heero's desk. "Mmm-hmmm. . . well, the gossamer runs by size, it looks like the 60 inch wide rolls are at about 150 dollars a for a 100 yards. The 19 inches roll is about 20 bucks, so you can get that for decorating, but I think we should try for using this on the floors. Yeah it's a bit expensive, but if we get everything in before the fifteenth of February, there is a 10 percent discount. How much is put aside for decorations? Well, figure in the discount, subtract that, and we're just 50 under the projections! Um, did you get all that?" 

"Lights." 

"Oh, and Wu. . . fei, I've talked to the drama department, and they're going to rig some lights for us. Just got to pay a 25 dollar rental fee and the cabinet has to promise to get season tickets next year. I'll talk to Mrs. N about getting the gossamer samples. Any particular patterns?" 

********************************************************************* 

"All of the marble colors, starry skys, water, metallic-toned, and cobblestone." Wufei listed. Sitting in a nearby chair, he added, "Did you ask him yet?" 

********************************************************************** 

"No!" Duo suddenly exclaimed. Relena watched him jump from his spot on the bed and began to pace with the phone. "I can't today! And why not, Wu? Well, I'm studying today. . . with Heero AND Relena. What do you mean, 'So'?" 

********************************************************************** 

"If I were you. . ." 

********************************************************************** 

"Well I'm not, so quit harping me about it! I'll do it tomorrow. Quit laughing, I am! I can't talk with you laughing that loud. You're right, this is not funny. Pity!! Don't pity me! Do you want the gossamer or not?" 

********************************************************************** 

"I want for you to get a date." He said seriously. "If I remember correctly at one meeting you trying to find me one. I'm just returning the favor. Let me speak to Heero for a minute." 

********************************************************************** 

"No, no! That's quite enough!" Duo snapped with annoyance as he flopped back down on the bed. "Has designing made you go Hilde on me or something? One of her is good enough, I sure don't need two!" 

"What was that all about?" Relena asked while Duo hung up the phone. 

"Oh, my cabinet's being a thorn in my side. Don't worry, Princess, things will calm down once prom's over and done with." He explained as he sat down in front of his books and cracked one open. He grinned at his friends and tried to hide between the pages. Two weeks ago, he had been dead set on making a move on his friend, but each time he tried he'd chicken out or Relena was around. 

Which seemed like every single hour of the day. Ever since the party at his job she had been observing Duo's every little move, and latching onto Heero even more. Heero even seemed to be distant. Other than their dealings with the prom committee, Heero rarely talked to him. Even now, as he sat right next to Heero, Duo felt extremely distant. 

'Once prom's over. . . then what?' 

********************************************************************** 

_@--{Next Day}--@_

"May I have your attention please." The school secretary's voice boomed over the loud, static-filled PA system. Duo yawned and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the clock on the nearby wall. 

"Two minutes to the bell," he sighed. After the bell rang, he knew the drill. 

_'Gather things, go to locker. Make Quatre blush. Flirt with Hilde. Heero and the Princess will stop by and ignore me. On to the afternoon meeting. Heero's house. Work.'_

He listened absentmindedly to the various voices that droned through the afternoon announcements. 

"Attention all students!" Mrs. Noin's voice cheerfully filled the classroom. "I have here in my hand the nominees of this year's Prom Court!" 

Duo sat up straight in his chair. He remembered that they had the nomination process during lunch, but he didn't think that the results would be finished so soon. Though he knew there wouldn't be any surprises, the same people seemed to get nominated every year. 

"Junior Princess nominees are: Relena Darlian, Hilde Schbeiker, and Joan Martin. Junior Prince: Wufei Chang, Christopher Loren, Heero Yuy, and Duo Maxwell. King: Trowa Barton, Jay Kristenson, and Nicholas Winter. Queen: Dorothy Catalonia, Carol Griffiths, and Marie Knight. There will be a brief meeting with all of the nominees tomorrow morning to discuss the rules of the upcoming election." 

"Shit." he cursed, sliding far down into his chair. Bowing his head, he felt hands slap him on the shoulder in congratulations. The bell rang overhead, and students began to fill out of the room. Duo, however, was far from pleased. 

_'The junior ballot is unbalanced.'_

Gathering his things, he stormed out of the classroom. Marching rapidly to Heero's locker, he opened it and unceremoniously threw his book bag inside. He grabbed the clipboard and catalogs from the top shelf and slammed the door shut. Nodding briefly to Quatre, he turned on his heel and walked briskly to the cafeteria. 

"What's his function?" Hilde mused as she stopped to stand next to the blond boy. The plan had been to meet at Heero's locker before the meeting to discuss the order of business. 

"Ballot's uneven." Heero said as he walked past the pair to open his locker. 

"Where?" She asked. 

"Junior Prince. There are four nominees instead of only three." 

"Oh." 

"He probably went to talk to Mrs. Noin." he stated as he shut the locker. "Odds are he. . ." 

Both Quatre and Hilde watched in silence as Heero's sentence trailed off. To their surprise, Heero slammed his locker door shut, nodded briefly to them and broke into a run towards the cafeteria. Hilde grabbed the sleeve of Quatre's shirt and began to run down the hallway. 

"Where are we going?" Quatre yelled. 

"This is going to be good!" Hilde exclaimed, ignoring the boy she was currently dragging down the hall. "Hush up, you! We need witnesses." 

"What's going on?" a bewildered Relena shouted as they flew past her. "Why is Heero sprinting down the hallway like a madman?" 

"Quit asking and start running!" Came Quatre's breathless reply. 

As the three teens reached the doorway of the cafeteria, they found that there was a crowd already formed in front of the doors. Most were committee members; the rest appeared to be drawn by the loud shouting that resonated from the doors. 

********************************************************************** 

"Like I told Duo, there was a tie! I was not going to pick and choose so I made the decision to keep the top four on the ballot!" Mrs. Noin explained to the two glaring boys. "If Duo wants to withdraw, so be it! So if you'll please calm. . ." 

"I decline my nomination." Heero stated, his eyes never leaving Duo's. 

"You can't!" Duo snapped at him. "There has to be three on the ballot!" 

Eyes narrowed. "Then retract your resignation." 

"No! I am not changing my mind! You are on that ballot! The decision is final!" 

"I won't participate." 

"Why are you being so stubborn? I'm the one to pick the stubborn people for friends! Must you always be so-" 

"Boys. . ." 

"You know you deserve this more than I-" 

"It's just a silly piece of metal and a sash. Not a big deal, Heero." Duo pleaded with a nonchalant laugh. "It wouldn't be fair for me to even consider winning. If I did win, it would just prove the whole 'rigged election' theory. It's best I not be involved except behind the scenes." 

"He has a point, Heero." Mrs. Noin agreed. "I think for right now, I'm not going to change the ballots. Take sometime to think about it, okay?" 

Heero looked at the both of them and nodded. Duo's eyes lit up and he hugged his friend. "See! That's the ticket! Now, you go open up the cafeteria doors so that we can start the meeting." 

"I still don't-" 

"Wufei! Hilde!" Duo shouted at the door, pushing Heero toward it. "Get in here!" 

********************************************************************** 

"Okay. . . last vote for today. . ." Duo rasped out. "There will be no debates. . . who's ready to go home?" 

Hands waved in the air. The prom committee had been holed up in the cafeteria longer than planned. For three hours they had been debating and voting on all decorations, favors, and crowns. Wufei had drowsily presented the preliminary sketches of the prom decorations. To everyone who didn't know him, he was as cool and confident as ever. In every other sense, he was a zombie. 

"Didn't sleep well, Wu-wu?" Hilde had asked when he sat down in the chair next to her. 

"Didn't sleep at all." He replied as he crossed his arms on the table and buried his head in them. 

"What are those long things hanging from the ceiling?" a student asked. 

"Gossamer." Came his muffled answer. 

"How much is it going to cost?" 

The meeting went on, every item up for discussion was contested and argued. By the close of the meeting, the cabinet could barely speak (except for Wufei, who fell asleep soon after his presentation). 

"Good." Duo sighed after counting the hands. "You all finally agree on something! Before I dismiss the meeting, I'd like to announce officially that I am declining my bid for Prom Prince. Ok, all dismissed." 

There was a loud murmur around the room. Students stood and began to talk amongst themselves in small crowds; a few girls running up to Duo and begged him to change his mind. Hugging each of them, he shook his head and left the room. 

He walked down the hallway, lost in his own thoughts. Before he could even ponder his own reasons for dropping out of the race, he felt a hard tug on his braid. Spinning around, he swung blindly to punch the assailant, only to be tackled at the waist. Pushed into a nearby wall, he felt strong hands pin his shoulders. 

"If you wanted to get my attention. . ." he grumbled. 

"You knew it was me." Heero replied. 

Duo shrugged an arm free and began to rub the back of his head. "Maybe I wanted to hit you. That hurt." He said. Heero stared at him for a moment. 

"I'm mad at you." Heero said lamely. 

"Not as mad as I am at you." 

"I wanted you to win." 

"Well, I want you to win. And now that I'm out of the picture, you will. There ain't nothing you can do about it, because I hold the power in this cabinet." 

"Why?" 

Duo shrugged. "I have my reasons." 

"What are they?" Heero asked as he took a step closer toward his friend. 

"Um, Heero?" Duo whispered. He could barely think, Heero's face was so close to his own. Every ounce of his being wanted to run, but he was every bit aware of the hand still gripping his shoulder. Eyes were watching them, Duo was sure of that, but feeling Heero's breath across his cheek. . . "People are going to get the wrong idea. Hell, _I'm_ starting to get the wrong idea." 

"That makes two of us then." 

"Heeero!" Relena screamed. She walked in between the two boys and slapped Duo across the face. Turning, she attempted to hit Heero but Duo caught her hand. 

"Princess, it's not what it looks like. He was only trying to calm me down! You see, he pulled my braid, and I thought that he was some-" 

"Shut up! I am so sick of this, this. . . shit!" She cried, pushing Heero aside. "It's always some misunderstanding with you! Whenever he's around you, I-I. . ." she stammered before running down the hallway. 

"Relena," Heero whispered. He turned to Duo, who was gingerly rubbing his cheek. 

"What are you waiting for?" he chuckled as he turned to walk in the opposite direction. "Go. Don't worry about me, I'll live." 

_'I finally got hit with reality.'_ He thought. 

*********************************************************************** 

"And just what the hell was that?" Relena yelled as she sat in the driver's seat. Heero sat in the passenger seat, his voice silent. "First, you're fighting in the cafeteria-" 

"We weren't fight-" 

"Then I heard of a scuffle out in the hallway. Worse still, that you started it! Fearing for your safety like a good girlfriend should, I come running out to find you cuddling with your best friend!" She ranted as she drove away. 

"You didn't have to slap him." 

"Oh! A _guy_ is stealing your boyfriend in front of the whole school, what am I supposed to do?" 

"Relena, Duo wasn't doing anything." 

"Why are you sticking up for him? If he means so much to you, why didn't you stay with him?" 

"He told me to talk to you!" Heero snapped at her. "It was my fault ok? I just got too close." 

"Too close to what, Heero?" She asked, tears falling down her face. "What is going on with you?" 

Turning to the window, Heero suddenly felt disgusted with himself. He just tried to kiss his best friend! Even now, he felt disappointed that he hadn't. Yet, he was glad. Thinking back, Heero realized that this wasn't the first time. There was beyond a doubt some physical attraction towards his friend--and that thought alone filled him with an unknown dread. 

"I don't know," he whispered. "I'm deeply sorry, but I just don't know right now." 

"Yes you do! You don't love me anymore!" She sobbed. 

"The road." He pointed out when the car swerved. 

"You're everything I've got! Don't you know that? I don't know what would happen if I lost you! I would just die!" Relena screamed as she pulled into Heero's driveway. 

"Don't say that..." 

"Please, Heero, please say that you love me. I don't know what I do if I knew that you hated me. No one loves me but you. I love you so much, I can't let you go!" 

Heero watched as she threw herself at the steering wheel, clutching onto it tightly. Memories flew into his mind. Past events that he prayed she would never have to endure again. He looked at the sobbing girl, his heart breaking. There, he felt pain-a pain that he knew came from hurting her. He had to make things right. 

"Relena," he whispered as he pulled her close. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. It will all be okay." 

"Promise," she asked with a slight hiccup. Relena rested her head on Heero's shoulder, and he held her close until the tears subsided. 

"I promise." He said after a pause. Turning all attention back to the window, Heero began to wonder if Duo was okay. 

Relena began to smile triumphantly as she felt Heero's arms tighten around her. She won this match, and she'd make sure that this little game would end in her favor. 

********************************************************************** 

_@--{February 12}--@_

"Well, well, well, looks like we're up against each other!" Nick laughed as he dropped his tray at the lunch table. The past week the school had been buzzing about the future prom court. Lunch period had become an exhibition show for the basketball team; and eager girls now occupied all the surrounding tables. 

"Ah, you know we're gonna lose!" Jay groaned, slapping Trowa on the shoulder. "If we go to the state tourney next month, we might as well quit." 

"So Trowa, are you putting up posters?" 

"Cathy and Quatre insist on it." He answered as he picked at the food on his tray. After a pause, he handed his lunch over to the teammate the sat across from him. "They've been working on them like crazy." 

"Hey!" Jay exclaimed, food flying out of his mouth. "I remember that name! She was that girl who kissed you at the rally!" 

"That was sick," Nick said, wiping spaghetti off his sleeve. "Wait. I thought Quatre wasn't your girlfriend?" 

"Quatre isn't-" 

"And why not? Hey! I thought she had this lunch." 

"Nick. Jay. Guys." He said, his voice low, but firm. "Quatre can't be my girlfriend. He is a boy, thus the rules that qualify him as being my girlfriend does not apply. I am not supposed to tell you that I'm gay, but apparently I am. If you have a problem with that, your problem." 

"Dude. . ." Barry whispered after a long period of silence. 

"Had me fooled." Jay said. 

"Quatre is my boyfriend." 

"You're joking, right?" Another teammate asked. "Oh wait, you don't joke. But then again, you are a circus clown. But, you're not joking. . ." 

"He has this lunch hour and refuses to eat with me in light of him sparing my reputation. I, on the other hand, do not care. So, if you will keep this "secret" to yourselves, can someone please invite him over here before I go insane?" 

"I can't speak for the others, but I'm cool with it." Nick said. "I'm a little weirded out and stuff, but I'll get over it." 

"Yeah!" Jay exclaimed as he jumped from his chair. "I'll go get Quatre! Probably with the sophomores." 

Nick stood. "I'll go with." 

"Remember guys, he's just my friend. Don't let him, or anyone else, know I told." Trowa said, tugging briefly on Jay's jacket. 

Jay broke into a wide smile. "Word is bond, bro." 

********************************************************************** 

_@--{February 14}--@_

"Come on, Rel," Hilde pleaded. "You can tell us!" 

"Yeah! Like, what is going on with you and Heero?" Suzie asked as she lowered herself into the splits. It was after school, and the cheerleaders were in their studio, beginning to warm up before practice. 

"Nothing!" Relena shrugged before touching her toes. 

"I was like, there in the hallway. Heero was like all over him." 

"It was a misunderstanding." Relena sighed as she sat down on the cold gym floor. 

"I know, you said that after you slapped the mess out of Duo." Hilde pointed out. 

"I blew it out of proportion. I apologized to Duo yesterday!" She argued. 

"Like, I always wondered about Heero. When Duo came out last year and like Heero was standing up for him and junk, I was like looking at how close they were and I was like, whoa and like-" 

Relena continued to stretch as Suzie began to speculate about her boyfriend. The cheerleader seemed utterly clueless to her surroundings as she brought up instances that Relena never even knew about. And didn't really want to know. 

"And he's so cute and smart and stuff! I would worry too! Like, I think if I was a guy, I would-" 

"Suzie," she snapped. "Shut up." 

Running to Heero's locker, she prayed that he would be there. She needed to see him, feel his arms around her. Anything to prove that beyond a doubt, he was hers. If not, she would find a way to guarantee it. 

She reached the empty hallway that contained Heero's locker. Leaning against the door, she waited for a few minutes and then began to play with the combination. 

_'I remember him telling it to me before...'_

After 3 tries, the door swung open with a clang. Reaching for a notebook and a pen from the top shelf, she prepared to leave Heero a little note. Opening the book, her eyes widened. 

_'Divide the committees. Go over time-line. (Include all scheduled meetings for the committee. Have chairpersons for each committee track progress and hold members responsible.) Start the theme selection process. Have a contest for best theme ideas with voting by the students, or select a theme as a group and make it a surprise. . .'_

She began to read the contents of the already dog-eared spiral, her brows furrowing over the loads of information that was on almost every page. Order forms that were filled from top to bottom were paperclip to a page scattered with hasty calculations, the size of the numbers making her dizzy. On the bottom of the page, in large red letters, Duo had written, "Stumps offers a 10 % discount on glassware, candles, kits, and frames, if the orders are placed by February 15!" 

_'He's pretty much has everything under control.'_ her mind taunted. 

"Thinks he's mister perfect!" she hissed as she closed the book. Throwing it on the floor, she reached for the catalog in the locker. "He'd be nothing without this stuff." 

_'Even Heero couldn't help him. . .'_

"Let's see how he does on his own." She mused as she shut Heero's locker and grabbed the books. After stashing them in her locker, she returned to cheerleading practice, her spirits again high. 

**TBC**

**Author's Note:** Oh, I know I'm gonna get prodded for this. . . *giggle* Huggies to everyone who's been hounding me to finish this fic. (You know who you are) ^_^ 

For those who are anxiously waiting for the next chapter of "Control", expect it to be out sometime in October. I'm sorry that is taking so long, but it would take me even longer to explain why. *HUG*_@--{Anthy}--@ _


	7. Part 7

Oh! And thank you (x1000) to all the people who have replied to this fic. I wish I had the time in my RL to reply back to everyone, but I guess a big *HUG* will have to do. Of course, huggies all around to my daily prodders (you know who you are!)!! ******************************************************************** 

@--{February 14, Evening}--@ 

"So, what are your plans tonight?" Duo asked as exited from Heero's bathroom, his hands quickly finishing the end of his braid. 

Heero looked up from his computer monitor. "Nothing." 

"Princess isn't going to like that." Duo pointed out, walking up to stand next to Heero's chair. 

"Why?" 

"Check your calendar, Romeo." he said while tapping Heero's head. Heero tilted his head to look at the calendar that hung on a nearby wall. 

"Oh." 

"Very enthusiastic." Duo huffed. "Okay, you're losing all of your brownie points." 

"With you or Relena?" 

"Both." he answered, pulling Heero out of his seat. He began to push his friend toward the bathroom door. "Now, go get dressed up, call her, and take her out. Buy some flowers! What is so funny?" 

"You." 

"And?" 

"For someone who would dance for joy if we were to ever break up, you try the hardest to keep us together." Heero noted. 

"Oh." Duo said and walked over to Heero's abandoned chair. He perched himself on the edge of the seat, and looked up nervously at his friend. 

Heero leaned against the bathroom door, crossing his arms in deep thought. 

"Care to explain why?" he asked. 

"Um, I just like seeing you happy, is all." Duo finally admitted as he jumped up from the chair. "Look, I've got babysitter duty tonight and I better fly outta here. See you after school tomorrow." 

Duo began to walk briskly out of the room. Heero caught one of his hands and caused him to a stop in the hallway. "Duo-" 

"Stop," he ordered as he pulled his arm free. "I'll see you tomorrow." 

********************************************************************** 

@--{February 15}--@ 

"Hey lil' bro, wanna be our manager?" Jay asked Quatre, slinging his arm tightly around the short blond's neck. 

"We have managers." Trowa said as he leaned against Quatre's locker door. "Four of them." 

"Nothing wrong with one more!" Nick argued. The boys were lounging in the hallway after school. An away game was that evening and the basketball players were waiting to leave. 

"What do you say, my man?" Jay persuaded. "You can come to the away games with us." 

"It is something to think about." Quatre said, swatting Trowa aside so he could open his locker. "Hope you guys win tonight," he added quietly. 

"Oh, you know it!" Nick exclaimed. He raised his hand in the air, only for Jay to slap it. 

"Cakewalk baby!" Jay laughed as he pulled Nick into a haphazard hug. The two boys began to laugh and howl, jumping up and down in wild circles. They tried to include Trowa in their excitement, but their teammate just arched an eyebrow. Quatre laughed weakly at the display, only to be targeted by the hyper teens. Nick grabbed the smaller boy and draped him over Jay's shoulder's like a shawl. Jay began to spin the blond boy in circles, laughing wildly. 

"Fuck!" Duo's voice echoed through the hallway, causing all action to stop. 

"What's wrong?" Quatre asked from Jay's shoulder. Jay lowered him back to the ground. Quatre uneasily ambled over to his friend, his balance albeit gone. 

"Not today," Duo hissed as he frantically tore into Heero's locker. Books flew out of the open door, papers floated to the floor. "This is not. . . I had them right over. . . damn!" 

"Lose something?" Jay asked. 

"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed as she jogged up to the group, pompoms in hand. "Did you find them yet?" 

"Does it look like I found them?" He growled. 

"Let's just head back to Mrs. Noin's office." she said, grabbing his arm. "We'll think of something." 

"No, go ahead. You need to get ready for the game." 

"But Duo-" 

"Go on!" Duo ordered, slamming the locker door shut. He began to walk toward the principal's office, his head downcast. "I'll call you later." 

"What's going on?" Quatre asked Hilde. She sighed and lightly punched the locker door. 

"Duo lost the order forms for the Prom Company. We had to get them in today, but it's too late. Mrs. Noin called, they're already closed." 

"Why did you need to send out the forms today?" 

"To get the big discount." She answered, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Even if we were to find them now, we'd be over budget." 

******************************************************************** 

"Quite the predicament we are in." Mrs. Noin calmly stated as she sat behind her desk. Wufei and Duo sat side by side in her office, their eyes downcast. "I'm sorry that I put so much responsibility on your shoulders. I thought that you would be able to handle it." 

"I know," Duo groaned as he banged his forehead on the edge of her desk. "I just don't know what to say but sorry." 

"All is not lost, nothing ever goes perfectly." She said, wincing as Duo's head hit her desk for the third time. "So, what is the game plan?" 

"Here's my catalog and the notes from the committee meetings." Wufei said and placed the objects on Mrs. Noin's desk. 

"I guess I'll go through and refinance the budget and make new order forms. We'll have to get rid of some items, so I guess we will have to call an emergency meeting to find out what we can live without." Duo said, falling back into his chair. 

"What about fundraisers?" the Chinese teen suggested. 

"It is possible for you to raise the money that you are behind on. Prom isn't until May, and that is months away." Noin pointed out. 

"Technically we have plenty of time, but by the school calendar I would have to disagree." Duo stated as he rubbed his forehead; wincing at the small bump that formed under his bangs. "March and April is the peak of the sports season, with basketball tournaments and stuff. The drama department has their spring play in the middle of April, along with the children's theatre. Prom is set for the first week of May, so April is the month for things to get done. The original intent was to have everything ordered and done with this week to prepare for the lag time in the next two months." 

"In other words, everyone would be too busy to do a fundraiser." Wufei commented dryly. 

"Exactly." 

"We can always enlist the other class cabinets. They would glad to help-" Noin suggested as she brought out her calendar. 

"No, Mrs. N! You gave us a job and we are going to do it." Duo protested as he jumped from his seat. "Now, I'll go and reconfigure these, and we'll have an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday." 

Grabbing the books on her desk, Duo spun on his heel and stormed out of the office. 

********************************************************************** 

@--{1 Week Later}--@ 

"Too bad you couldn't make it to the emergency meetings, Heero." Relena cooed. She was over at Heero's house to study. The entire time she was there, Relena relayed every event that had occurred in the past week. 

"We had to re-vote on everything! Something about there being a problem with the budget. Nobody could agree on anything! I almost felt sorry for the cabinet, I swear Wufei was about to strangle someone. Odds are that your friend forgot to carry the one somewhere and now all we can afford are balloons and cardboard cutouts!" 

"Can I use your calculator?" Heero asked irritably. She seemed to be enjoying what seemed to be a stressful time for his friends. He barely even saw Duo anymore; he even opted to change at the school before running to work. 

"In my book bag." she said before continuing on her rant. "And what was he thinking, planning the meetings so soon after school. He knew that most of the sports teams had practice at that time. If it weren't that Hilde was in cabinet, I wouldn't have postponed my squad's practice. That was very nice of me, don't you think?" 

There was a long moment of silence, and Relena looked up from her textbook to see Heero glaring at her book bag. "Why do you have this?" he asked as he pulled the familiar Stumps Prom and Party catalog from its hiding place. 

"Oh that!" She exclaimed, trying to pull it from his hands. "I decided to get a catalog for myself. I was thinking that I'd get one of those big tiaras for-" 

"This is Duo's," he stated after opening the page that housed the order forms, each page filled to capacity. 

"It is?" she asked innocently. He glared at her before tossing the catalog aside and fished around her book bag. 

"Do you know what you have done?" He asked when he found Duo's notebook. 

"I-it was a harmless prank, Heero." Relena stammered. 

"Did you even stop to think of the repercussions?" He demanded, throwing the notebook in her lap. "The entire budget was planned around the order forms being turned in last week." 

"I'm sorry," she said, tossing the notebook aside. 

"I'm not the person you should be apologizing to." 

"Apologize! To him?" She asked, before laughing wildly. "It's better he didn't know. Just stick it in your locker where he'll find it and be done with it." 

"Relena-" 

"It's just as much your fault as it is mine." She interrupted him, her voice condescending. 

"What?" 

"You made me go crazy." Relena nonchalantly explained. "I just thought that with Duo busy with prom and away from you, we could spend more time together." 

"That's no excuse." 

"Does it look like I care?" She asked before returning to her homework. "Heero, I want you to choose. Either you pick me or him. It's unfair to have both." 

"I agree." he said. Grabbing the catalog and notebook, Heero began to walk out of his room. "I expect you not to be here when I get back." Heero ordered from the door before slamming it shut. 

********************************************************************** 

"A dollar twenty times 500 . . . take 5% off. . ." Duo murmured as he chewed on the end of his braid. He was on his break, sitting at one of the unoccupied tables in the smoking section. The booth still had food scattered about the table, empty glasses and plates rested at the edge. 

Waiters would place their unwanted dishes there as well, so there they sat until a buser would come by and pick them up. Only Duo was the "bus bitch" for the night. He had cleared a small space to rest his new notebook, and he was set on having the order forms ready as soon as possible. Duo was so caught up in his figures that he failed to notice that someone slid into the seat across from him. 

"Eat this instead." Heero said, placing a basket of mozzarella sticks in front of Duo's face. 

"Five percent of. . ." Duo continued to write, only pausing to replace his braid with a stick. Looking at his friend, Heero could see how tired his friend was. 

"Take a break." 

"I have to get this done," he said as he threw the half-eaten stick back into the basket. 

"I need to talk to you." 

"Talk." Duo urged with a yawn. "Five percent of, wait, we vetoed it. Five percent. . ." 

"Relena had this." Heero said as he placed the books on the table. "I found them today." 

"All this time," Duo murmured. He laughed bitterly as he looked at his friend. Looking at the books in defeat, he added. "I should've known that bitch-" 

"Are you mad at me?" 

"Me? Mad? Never!" He sarcastically snapped, rapidly gathering his things. 

"Can I help?" 

"No!" he yelled. Seeing the looks from nearby tables, he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I don't need your help anymore." 

"I want to-" 

"Then stay away from me! You and your girlfriend!" He hissed. "You're only making things worse." 

He began to walk towards the back room; Heero jumped from his seat to stand in front of him. "Duo, what do you want from me?" 

"Just leave me alone." He pleaded as he stepped around him. Duo stormed into the backroom. He walked past the kitchen and into the massive preparation room. Reaching the employee's closet he threw his books into his book bag. Only did he realize that there was a commotion in the kitchen. 

"Hey! You can't be back here!" He heard his supervisor yell when Heero appeared from around the corner. 

"Duo-" he said loudly. 

"I'm not talking to you." 

"Why are you acting like this?" 

"Are you blind?" He yelled. "This is just as much your fault as it is hers!" 

"What do you want me to do?" Heero asked. 

"I want you to start acting like my friend again! Friends don't do certain things, especially things that make girlfriends do even more stupid things!" 

"What if I'm sick and tired of being just your friend?" He shouted. "I don't want to be your friend anymore!" 

Duo stared at him in silence, before walking to the back exit. "I can't be your friend, either. I'm sorry." he whispered, opening the door. 

"That's not what I meant." Heero pleaded. 

"I know what you meant. I just think that if we. . . it would be best not to be anything at all. I've got to get back to work." He said tensely, his voice low. "Goodbye, Heero." 

Heero glared at him for a second before briskly walking out the opened door. Shutting the door behind Heero's retreating form, Duo leaned against it. He slid down the door until he was sitting on the hard, cold floor. Hilde emerged from her hiding space in the manager's office, and sat next to her friend. 

"You idiot." She stated, pulling him into a tight hug. 

********************************************************************** 

@--{March}--@ 

Wufei marched down the hallway, weaving through the numerous crowds and skipping over scattered book bags. Not once did he look up from his book, which he was in the process of reading out loud to the person following behind him. 

"Hilde has the Winter Awards to attend to at 7 tonight, won't be here for the inventory. We have the Talent Show this Friday and we still haven't decided who is going to MC, you or me. Meeting next Friday, check in with the various committees, make sure the Ticket Sales committee is ready to go after Spring Break." He said as he approached his locker. After putting in the combination, he opened his locker. Books, papers, basketballs and jackets tumbled out of the small space, landing in a small pile at his feet. "Damn it, Duo! Don't you have your own locker!" 

"I told you Wu, I have one, but I've never used it." Duo explained as he bent down to gather the items on the floor. "Never had a reason to. 

I don't even know the combination to it." 

"Figures," Wufei mumbled as he kicked the basketball in Duo's direction. "Most of this stuff isn't even yours! Sure as hell isn't mine." 

"For the thousandth time, sorry!" 

"This might as well be Heero's locker. . ." 

"Sorry." 

"Tell me again how one would lose their letter jacket on someone else's locker door?" 

Duo shrugged and continued to shove the items back into Wufei's locker. 

Weeks had passed, and yet Duo had successfully avoided his friend. Not that it was difficult, as he had predicted the sports season flourished. The basketball team had a rigorous schedule, and when they had made it to the state finals, they had to spend in entire week in another city. Hilde made Wufei drag Duo to the final game, and Duo was thankful for that. He witnessed Heero, along with his teammates, blow away Peyton Prep in a near shutout game. 

Heero "lost" the game ball three days later. 

"If you can't explain why your friend has become extremely absentminded, tell me again why you stopped talking to each other?" 

"His girlfriend got jealous and almost ruined prom, remember?" Duo exclaimed as he attempted to close the stuffed locker. "If it wasn't for that donation . . ." 

"That was Relena's move, Heero had nothing to do with it." Wufei argued. 

"He said he was sick of being my friend." 

"This is the only time that I'm *asking* you to think in the gutter." He calmly stated before walking away from his locker. Duo stared at Wufei's back for a moment. 

"Oh, that's just sick!" He called after him, causing curious looks from students around them. 

Wufei stopped in mid step and turned to his friend. 

"By the way, I know not to believe everything that Hilde's rumor mills announce, but Relena is no longer Heero's girlfriend." He said before resuming his walk down the hallway. "And get that shit out of my locker!" 

********************************************************************** 

"Hey Heero, what are ya wearing to the Awards?" Jay asked as the two teens ambled down the hallway. 

"Clothes." 

"That seems to be the common answer," he mused, his brow furrowing with deep thought. 

"Hey Heero!" Quatre called, running up to them. "Just who I was looking for!" 

"Lil' bro!" 

"Don't spin me." He warned Jay before placing a hair tie in Heero's hand. "Duo lost this." 

"I wasn't gonna! The last time I tried to you punched me in the stomach. It hurt, and I swear Trowa tripped me!" 

"You tripped on your own feet," Heero pointed out as he stared at the object in his hands. "Quatre, where is Duo?" 

"In the cafeteria," Quatre answered with a smile. "The prom materials just arrived." 

"Thank you." He said, running towards the office. 

"It's about time." Quatre said before walking in the other direction. 

"Time for what?" Jay asked loudly as he stood in the hallway by himself. 

********************************************************************** 

"Okay, once we're done checking the inventory, we're going to lock this away in storage." Noin instructed the two boys who looked in awe at the massive boxes. "The invitations, tickets, and favors will be locked in my office. . . once you find them." 

"We're going to be here for awhile." Wufei said. 

"Mmm-hmmm." Duo nodded. 

"Yeah." he murmured quietly as Duo turned his back to him. Wufei immediately noticed that Duo's braid was slowly becoming undone. The tie that was there when he was chatting with Quatre minutes earlier had disappeared. "Lose something?" 

"Yeah, lost a lot of things." 

"I don't see why I try to understand you." 

"Oh, you know I love you Wu!" 

"Just looking at those boxes are making me tired!" Noin groaned as she sat in a nearby chair. Looking up at the cafeteria doors, she spotted a lone figure standing at in the doorway. 

"Heero?" she called to him. "Can I help you?" 

"I was looking for Duo," he stated, pointing to the form that was being strangled by Wufei. 

"We'll continue this later." Wufei threatened him. Before pushing Duo in the direction of the cafeteria doors he whispered, "Chicken out this time and I will hurt you." 

Duo followed Heero out into the near empty hallway, suddenly feeling painfully shy. 

"I found this." Heero said the second Duo was standing in front of him. 

"Yeah, I found some things too," he admitted bashfully. Heero made a small wave of his hand, and Duo automatically turned so that his back was to him. Heero quickly re-braided Duo's braid, securing it with the lost tie. 

"We've been stupid, huh?" Heero said apologetically once he finished, squeezing Duo's shoulder lightly. Duo turned and grinned at him. 

"Extremely." He agreed, wrapping his arms around Heero's waist. Heero mimicked his actions, and they both leaned forward so that their foreheads where resting against each other. "Well, Wufei kicked me out of his locker and I wasn't too thrilled to be sharing with him anyway. . ." 

"My locker's pretty empty." Heero murmured. 

"Friends then?" Duo whispered. 

Heero chuckled lightly. "No friends." 

"Okay." he mused, tilting his head back to look into Heero's eyes. "Then what?" 

"We'll see." Heero said softly before brushing his lips lightly across Duo's. "We'll see." 

TBC 


	8. Part 8

Quatre looked down the long line of students and sighed. He knew that today would be long, for he and Trowa were in charge of the ticket booth that afternoon. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Trowa sitting in the fold-up chair next to him, surrounded by the entire basketball team. 

"Okay, that will be eighty dollars." Quatre said with a smile to the girl in front of him. 

"Honey. . ." She whined, tugging on her boyfriend's arm. He shrugged and tossed a handful of dollars on the table. 

"Here's your tickets, and in the bag you'll find your candles. You'll receive your memory book and picture frame at prom. Trowa will take your names for the guest list." he instructed as he placed the money in the metal box and placed a small bag on the table. 

"Umm, which one's Trowa?" the boy grumbled, snatching the bag and tossing it to his girlfriend. 

Quatre blinked and turned to look next to him. "The one who is NOT SITTING ON THE TABLE!!" he snapped playfully. "Jay, Nick, Barry--off!" 

"We wanna help!" Jay moaned as Quatre pushed him off the edge. 

"We're bored!" 

"Need something to. . ." Nick murmured, stroking his chin. He paused, glancing over to Quatre. ". . .do." 

He stared at the teen, which had returned to helping students. Looking at Jay, they shared a silent debate. "He is light enough." Jay whispered. The silent conspiracy spread around the basketball team members, their eyes widening with excitement. Trowa, who was taking names, paused to glare at the group. 

"But it won't work unless. . ." Nick whispered. The team crowded around Trowa, each whispering their pleas for his assistance. 

"Guys?" Quatre asked, walking over to the group. "What's going on?" 

Trowa stood and walked behind Quatre, effortlessly scooping him in his arms. "Drop and you die." he warned. 

"Trowa, what are you-" Quatre attempted to ask when Trowa tossed him over the table and into Jay's arms. Jay tossed him over to Nick, who promptly threw him to Barry. The basketball team formed a small circle and began to pass the smaller teen around, who was screaming wildly. After a moment of tossing, the screams were replaced with laughter, both from the tossers and their victim. People in the line began to cheer them on, counting each successful pass. 

"What's all the commotion?" A loud voice boomed. 

"Coach Parker!" Nick exclaimed, almost dropping the squirming body in his arms. 

"Not human scrimmage again!" the coach groaned angrily. 

"No coach, we're playing 'Catch-a-Quatre'!" Nick exclaimed, tossing Quatre to Jay in demonstration. "Don't worry, sir, we won't drop him." 

"We love our lil' brother, don't we guys?" Jay shouted to the group. 

"Yeah!" the boys cheered. They began to sing as they tossed him about, Quatre protesting the entire time. "We love you Quatre, oh yes we do! We love you Quatre, and this is true!" 

"Put me down!" 

"When you're not near us. . . we're blue!" 

"Stop singing!" 

"Oh, Quatre, we love you!" 

"Game over." Trowa stated from the table, motioning to the line. Jay caught Quatre last and began to laugh like a madman. Spinning, he twirled towards the table and dropped Quatre into his seat. 

"That was fun!" he gasped. Turning, he punched Trowa's arm. "In a strange, I-feel-like-I'm-about-to-die sort of way." 

Two hours later, the last person in line had been attended to, the cash box full. 

"So bro, are you going to join us at prom?" Jay asked, slinging an arm around Quatre's shoulder. 

"Nope!" he chirped, turning to pick up an empty box. 

"Why not?" 

"I'm an underclassmen, remember? The only way I could go is if an upperclassmen asks me." 

"I thought that Trowa would ask-" Jay said blankly with a look of surprise on his face. 

"Dude!" Nick exclaimed, painfully grabbing Jay's arm and pulling him a good distance away from Quatre. 

"Well, I thought he would!" he hissed loudly. Jerking his hand away he gripped Nick's arm and violently shoved him. 

"Shh! You weren't supposed to tell, dumbass!" Nick whispered even louder, punching him in the shoulder. The two glared at each other angrily. 

"I didn't say a thing about him being gay!" Jay snapped after a long period of silence. 

"You just did!" 

Jay stepped back and thought about it. "Did not!" he retorted confidently. 

"Did too!" 

"I wouldn't of had to if you had kept your mouth shut." 

"Well at least you didn't mention that Trowa's his boyfriend." Nick said, shrugging his shoulders. 

"You just did, ass wipe!" 

"I did, oh shit!" 

"Think we could cover our tracks?" Jay asked, looking around nervously. 

"I think they heard us." Nick whispered as he looked at the small crowd around them, whispering and giggling. Quatre and Trowa stood side-by-side, at the rear end of the crowd. Trowa looked at them with a hint of amusement, a small gleam in his emerald eyes. Jay and Nick reluctantly looked over at Quatre, who was turning various shades of red. 

"It's ok, Trowa told me weeks ago." Quatre called out before laughing at the pair. "Saved us the trouble about telling people, thanks!" 

"Then, why aren't you going to prom?" Jay asked, looking a bit insulted. 

"Like I said, no one has asked me yet." 

"I think he's referring to you." Nick whispered across the crowd, making gun shapes with his fingers and pointing them at Trowa. 

"Quatre, would you like to be my date for the prom?" 

"I'd love to." 

*********************************************************************** 

"Can I hit her?" Hilde asked irritably. "Please say I can hit her." 

She was in the middle of warming up when she had looked at her captain. 

Relena was walking lifelessly into the gymnasium, sitting at the first bleacher she walked by. Curling up into a ball, she stared at her squad before bursting into tears. Hilde couldn't take much more--Relena had done that exact same thing at every practice. 

"Poor Relena." Suzie tsked. "Like, Heero hasn't said a word to her in weeks. What, like, happened between the two of them?" 

"She did something real stupid." Hilde answered, jumping from her spot on the gym floor. She ran and executed a series of flips and jumps. Attempting the triple somersault that Trowa had shown her weeks ago, she nailed the second before crashing to the floor. Jumping up, she tried again, this time sticking the landing before losing her balance. 

"I wonder if he's dating anyone yet?" She heard from one of the girls say. Rolling her eyes, she began to practice her round offs. 

'I hate cheerleaders.' she thought to herself. 

"Like, I'd ask him out and stuff. I wonder who he is going to prom with." 

'The voices. They're coming closer. . .' 

"Hey Hilde, how are things between Heero and Duo?" 

"Oh!" she gasped as she fumbled with her last tumbling pass. Jumping up from the floor, she turned to the girls who had chased her down the gym. "They're still friends, I guess." 

"I wonder if Duo's going to go after him now." Cindy mused. 

"I doubt it. . ." Hilde said with a shrug. 

'Heero beat him to the punch.' she thought as she prepared to run again. She raised her arms in the air, only for Suzie to grab one of her wrists. 

"No way! Like Heero isn't gay! He's been dating Relena for almost like three years." 

"That doesn't make a difference." She snapped, pulling her arm free. "I know." 

"Oh yeah, didn't you. . ." Suzie started, but suddenly backed down. "I'm sorry, I like forgot." 

"Don't worry about it, we have other things to worry about." she said, resigning herself to jogging in place. 

"Yeah! We should do something for Relena." A girl said. 

"Like bitch-slapping her around the gym for warm-ups?" Hilde suggested. "We 'did something' for her last week! And the week before that! She has to move on because we have to work on our next rout-" 

"Yeah! Let's go cheer her up!" 

"I think I'll join the dance team now." 

*********************************************************************** 

Relena walked as fast as her feet could go without running down the crowded hallway. She dodged the chattering students and merely nodded to her crowd of friends. Remembering the report that Suzie gave her the night before, she had all the confidence she needed. Heero was still single!! He hadn't gone after Duo like she feared he would. He was probably mad at what she did to the prom committee. It was unforgivable at the time, but she thought that it was time for them to reconcile. She had been miserable since he had stopped talking to her, when they did talk at school; it had been awkward and cordial. 

As she approached Heero's locker, she realized that her ex-boyfriend was not alone. Duo stood next to him, their book bags in his hand. Heero was rummaging in the small space, listening to Duo rant about the latest developments of the prom committee. He grabbed one of the bags and shoved it inside, pausing to toss his jacket to Duo. 

"The biggest concern right now is the clean up committee. We have none!! No one wants to come back to the prom site and tear it down. Hell, I don't want to tear it down once we get it up! At least most of the stuff we ordered is reusable. Hey, remind me to stop by the U-hall place to pick up the extra cardboard boxes. So, I was thinking that since Hilde and I won't be doing the pre-prom thing that maybe-" 

"If you don't mind." Relena said, interrupting Duo and pushing him aside. 

"Actually I do." He snapped. 

"Heero?" 

"It's his locker too." Heero stated as he grabbed Duo's book bag and put it inside. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to prom with me?" She said cheerfully. "I know we aren't dating anymore, but I thought it would be nice if we went together." 

"You mean, better for your reps." Duo grumbled. 

"Shut up, idiot, I'm not talking to you." She sang between her teeth. 

"Don't call him names." 

"I'm sorry, Heero." She apologized, latching onto his arm. "I really do miss you, and I don't want to go to prom alone." 

Heero stared at her for a long moment. He looked at Duo, who was glaring at the blond girl. Shrugging his shoulders, Duo pointed to her and uttered, "Fine." 

"I'll go with you." Heero said as he gently pried her hand off of his arm. 

"That's great!" She exclaimed. 

"Call me later tonight to make arrangements." He uttered as he shut the locker door and walked slowly down the hallway. 

"Ok!" she called after him. Duo huffed and began to follow Heero, a sentiment flying across his lips. 

"Bitch." 

"Excuse me?" Relena screeched, gripping onto Duo's arm. He kept his back turned away from her. 

"Well, Princess, since you deserve that title so much, I decided to keep my mouth shut about that little stunt you pulled. One kind word to your dear sister-in-law and your ass will be pulled out of the competition in a flash. That would be the least of your worries, I'd bet." he said in a low voice. "So if you think of pulling another stunt, or displease me in anyway-" 

"Whatever." She huffed, letting go of Duo's hand. Duo finally turned to face her, his violet eyes narrowed. 

"You won't get him back." 

"That's what you think!" She shouted. Leaning against the locker bay, she stared at the pair walking down the hallway. What Duo had said unnerved her, and she hated that. He did not know Heero like she did, and somehow, someway. She would find a way to prove it. 

She would get Heero back. 

After all, he loved her. 

Didn't he? 

TBC


	9. Part 9

@--{Three weeks before Prom, Friday}--@ 

"I'm so excited for you, Relena!" Cindy exclaimed loudly, running up to Relena and giving her an impromptu hug. 

"Me too!" Barbara cheered, hugging Relena as well. "You and Heero are back together!" 

"Not yet," Relena sighed dramtically with a grin. "But we will be after prom. . ." 

Hilde looked up from her spot in front of the discounted shawls and frowned. She wanted to say something to wipe that smirk off of Relena's face, but she had sworn she would behave. 

"We'll have to get something extra special!" another cheerleader, unrecognizable from the JV squad, quipped in. 

"We're *supposed* to be practicing right now." Hilde grumbled. "Remember, 'Go, Team, Go!' and all that shit?" 

The cheerleading squad had decided at the last minute to cancel practice and go dress shopping. Their sponsor approved of the activity, as long as the entire team agreed to go. Everyone was willing. . . except Hilde. She had already purchased her dress last summer when they were all on sale. Above all else, Hilde did not want to waste her time listen to Relena brag about her 'relationship' to her lackies. 

"The second he, like, sees you, he'll, like, be begging you to take him back!" Suzie exclaimed, ignoring Hilde's comment entirely. 

"Oh please." she huffed as she slammed the shawl back into the bin. 

"Hilde," Relena said calmly, picking up a black and white patterned gown. "I know you are being loyal to your friend, but you definately need a change in attitude." 

"I will if you will." she sang with false enthusiasm. Relena twirled cheerfully on her toes and practically danced into the dressing room. Hilde surged forward, only to be blocked successfully by Suzie. 

"I think I'm gonna, like, get this one!" Suzie exclaimed as she spun in mad circles. 

"Um, Suze?" Hilde asked while eyeing the gown. That is, if you consider a bright red halter-top with an ultralow neckline attached to a barely there mini-skirt...a dress. "You do know there is a dress code?" 

"Too much?" Suzie asked, hitching up the already short hem of the dress. 

"I'd say the opposite." Hilde laughed. "Here, try this one. Same color as. . . *that*, but with a little more to leave to the imagination." 

"What you do you think of this one?" Relena announced loudly as she excited the dressing room. The bodice fit her slim figure perfectly, the skirt flowed to the floor, the fabric seemed to rest on her skin. The neckline was modestly cut, the sleeves attached to the thin spagetti straps and seemed to flawlessly fit the white gown. It was perfect; minus the black dots in various different sizes and shapes that adorned the bodice and invaded the skirt. She spinned around the three-way mirror slowly, getting various comments from her teammates. 

"Everything looks good on you! I wish I had that figure!" 

"So pretty!" 

"Get that one, Relena!" 

"It makes you look like a cow." 

Relena turned to glare at Hilde. "That's going a little too-" 

"No, no, no! Trust me on this one!" Hilde soothed, rushing up to Relena. "Looks like they took the skin straight off a cow and onto your flesh. I hold back all 'loyal friend' hatered on account of fashion. Nobody's going to look awful on my watch!" 

'And I doubt Duo wants Heero to go to prom with a cow.' she thought silently, using every ounce of self-control to not laugh in the blond girl's face. 

Relena raised an eyebrow. "So what do you suggest?" she asked almost cockily. 

Hilde, along with Suzie and Cindy, began to show Relena various dresses. She had to admit that it was fun dressing her up in different outfits, especially outfitting the girl in gowns she wouldn't be caught dead in--just for fun. Everytime she asked Hilde if Heero would like a dress gave Hilde the encouragement to run off to find something he would hate. 

"I wonder if Heero-" Relena started to say twenty minutes later as she lifted up a dark blue gown. 

After hearing that every two minutes, the breaking point had been breached. 

"Enough!" Hilde shouted, causing the girls around her to gasp. She marched up to Relena and raised a hand high in the air. After a moment of self-scolding, the hand shakily lowered to rest at Hilde's side. Glaring at the girl in front of her, Hilde said in a low voice that only Relena could hear, "I am only going to say this once, Relena, so listen real good. Heero does not want you. If anything, he pities your pathetic ass and would rather spend his prom with someone else." 

She turned on her heel and marched out of the department store without a wave to her teammates. Relena stood by the dress rack, the gown clutched tightly to her chest. "You're just jealous!" Relena shouted to Hilde's back. 

********************************************************************* 

@--{Two hours later. . .}--@ 

"Hil, calm down!" Duo exclaimed as he stretched his arms across the host table, Hilde angrily clawing at his back. She came to work on a mission and he was purposely in her way. 

"How am I supposed to be calm, Duo?" she snapped, grabbing a nearby menu and began to slap him with it. They were preparing for the evening rush, and the restaurant was virtually empty. The only customers were being served at the bar. The hosts and the bartenders had free reign of the restaurant for a brief period of time; the rest of the staff was huddled in the back office for a brief meeting. Hilde looked around the restraurant before dropping the menu to jab Duo in the arm. Hard. "I'm this close to strangling people, and I'm going to start with you first! Why is your boyfriend going to prom with his ex?" 

Duo froze and loosened his hold on the small counter to look at her. "That sounded funny, nix the titles next time around will ya?" 

"Awww, you're blushing!" she cooed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Now come on, tell me why you are not going to prom with Heero?" 

"I'm going to prom with you." he stated, turning around to hug her properly. "You asked me before he could, remember?" 

"I said I would be fine going by myself." she whined, resting her head on his shoulder. Realizing that Duo was no longer guarding the host stand, Hilde broke free of Duo's grasp and dove for the courtesy phone. "Let me talk to him." 

"Would you stop?" Duo begged, pulling her away from the counter. 

"If I can't talk sense into you, maybe Hee-haha, stop!" she screeched as Duo began to tickle the back of her neck. She turned to return the favor, sending them both flying to the ground in a semi-wrestling match. They rolled on the ground, each trying to gain control on the situation. Jim appeared over them, waving a pitcher of ice water over their heads. Water sloshed from the top, sprinkling small droplets on both of them. 

"I sure do hope you brought a change of clothes!" Jim sang gleefully. 

Duo laughed and called, "I only stop for marguritas." 

"One non-alcholic pitcher coming up!" Jim said as he bounced back to his position at the bar. 

"Can I at least tell her about you two?" she asked as she jumped from the floor. After lightly kicking Duo in the side, she helped him stand. The pair began to walk toward the bar. "I almost told her today." 

"Go ahead and tell her." Duo said, hopping up onto one of the tall stools. "I guarantee major sabotage come prom time." 

"Oh really?" she countered. 

"Yep. Even Jimmy agrees with me." Duo pointed out. Jim nodded as he placed two small mugs in front of them. Duo sipped his glass and looked at Jim wearily. The bartender merely winked and made a shushing signal before attending to another customer. 

"I love that guy." he said before turning to Hilde, who was leaning lazily against the tall counter. "Put yourself in her shoes, how would you react?" 

"I-" she started. "Are you sure you okay with all of this?" 

"Does it matter?" 

"It does," she mused, sipping on her drink. "I think it should matter a lot." 

*********************************************************************** 

@--{May 4}--@ 

"Well, well, well, today's our last day of decorating and it's all okay! Dan the Man here, motivating for free, but do something for me. Enjoy the groove, but work while you moooove." the DJ said into the microphone. His voice echoed through the large ballroom, the mike cutting out as he played with the volume. "Here's a quick message going up to the guy hanging the gossamer: 'Quit jumping from ladder to chandelier to ladder, you're scaring us all.' Alrighty, then! Also to guy on ladder, you need to speak to Foreman Winner, immediately. Just testing the bass now, so here's a nice beat from TechN9ne for ya!" 

"He must be from Kansas City," Quatre mused as he listened to the lively lyrics. He began to nod his head to the beat, his body beginning to sway to the vibrations that hit the floor and bounced off the walls. Not to be distracted, he looked at his clipboard and began to hand out instructions. 

"Nick, follow Wufei to the truck and begin to help the drama department with the lighting equipment. Barry, go with him. Um. . .Jay? You need to take your lightboard over to the DJ booth, Dan wants to discuss your light plot." 

"Noo prrroooob, Bob!" Jay exclaimed, saluting Quatre and danced his way through the small crowd of volunteers. 

"He's our light guy?" Duo whispered. Quatre nodded. 

"Oh God." Wufei muttered loudly as he spotted Jay setting up the expensive lightboard, using electric tape and a pocket knife. 

"I have faith that he will do a good job you guys." Quatre said as he continued to read from the clipboard. 

"Ah! Damn ellipsoidal!" Jay shouted loudly. He climbed up a nearby ladder and unplugged the lighting instrument from the adapter. Turning the large square plug upside down Jay stabbed in between the metal pins with his pocket knife, and then forcefully slammed the plug into the socket. An interesting display of sparks came from the outlet, which he stared at with mild fascination. "It's still good..." he gave the instrument one more visual glance over, then beamed over at the trio and gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up. [1] 

To Wufei and Duo's surprise, the malfunctioning light started to work, as if nothing was wrong with it. 

Duo gave Quatre a quick pat on the back. "That's why I promoted you buddy! Ever consider joining StuCo next year?" 

"Well, I-" Quatre started to respond when he was hugged from behind. He scowled and quickly elbowed the person behind him. "I told *you* to stop with the acrobatics." 

"It got the job done." Trowa said matter-of-factly as he observed his handiwork. Quatre turned to face him and stood on his toes. 

"To the truck." he ordered, tapping Trowa on the nose. Trowa smirked and returned the tap on the nose before exiting the ballroom. Quatre twirled, and found himself face to face with a very amused Wufei and Duo. 

"He's positively glowing." Duo observed. Wufei nodded in agreement and followed Trowa outside in silence. 

"Shut up!" Quatre said as he slapped Duo with the clipboard. "Like you should be talking." 

"I have no clue what you are talking about." he said haughtily, turning to pick up a box. Duo suddenly felt a hand tap him on the shoulder, while another arm wrapped itself around his waist. 

"Hey Duo," Heero whispered into Duo's ear, causing him to drop the box in his hands. Duo slapped the arm around his waist and he turned to lightly push him. 

"Don't do that! I could've been carrying glass or something breakable." 

"I'm sorry." 

"No, you're not." 

"I'm not." 

"Fine." 

"Fine," Heero repeated, looking in the direction of the door. "Time to go." 

"Go? Where?" Duo asked as Heero grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the hotel. 

"How cute." Quatre said. Jay ran up to his side, his eyes full of concern. He was near tears. 

"Dude, I'm out of Rosco series number 51! I could use 02, but that's too warm, and it would make girls dresses look terrible, I know it would! Do you think you could gather some No Color Blue for me?" [2] 

"Okay!" he said wearily, walking away from him. "Just let me figure out what you are talking about first." 

"I'll wait here!" Jay called after him. 

*********************************************************************** 

"Heero, I told you we couldn't do anything today!" Duo complained as they crossed the massive lobby. "Today's the last day for the decoration commitee to work, they'll be too busy tomorrow. I can't leave." 

"I never said we were leaving." 

"Huh?" he asked. "When one says, 'It's time to go', you would assume that you'd be going somewhere else." 

Heero shrugged as they left the hotel and walked under the balloon archway that had been constructed in front of the entrance. He lead Duo across the street to the small park, where under a nearby tree, a picnic blanket had been laid out. 

"Quatre and Wufei know where to find you if they need you." 

"If you're trying to be romantic, you failed." Duo joked, sitting down on the blanket. "McDonalds?" 

"I tried." he countered with a sigh. Placing a large box in Duo's lap, Heero added, "I guess you won't be needing this then." 

Duo grinned and slowly began to pull the tape off the box. The box was unwrapped, only held together by a few strips of tape. His first response was to rip the lid off and pull out the contents, but he knew that Heero knew this as well. So, he opened the box with intense care. 

"Duo. . ." 

"It's a pretty box!" he argued, pulling off the last piece of tape. Lifting the lid slowly, he began to lift up the tissue paper, piece by piece. 

"Duo. . ." 

"Patience, my dear Heero." Duo said. "The suspense is killing you, isn't it?" 

"I know what it is." 

Duo just smiled and continued to pull the paper aside. Inside the box laid a tuxedo, completely different from the classic black and white tux he had rented weeks ago. "How did you know that I wanted this?" 

"I was there, remember?" Heero said as he placed the box aside. "It's the same jacket. I just got the shirt, vest and tie that you wanted." 

"The shirt, vest and tie was too expensive, you idiot!" Duo exclaimed as he tackled Heero. That too, Heero had expected. 

"Then I shouldn't have got us matching cufflinks, too?" 

"Of course not!" Duo snapped, a big smile on his face. 

"Damn." he said, reaching into his pocket and unearthing the cufflinks. 

"Sap." Duo said, throwing caution to the wind to kiss Heero's nose. Sitting on Heero's chest, he frowned. "I have a confession to make." 

"You don't want me to go to prom with Relena. I know." 

"No!" He started. "Well, yeah. But it wouldn't be fair for me to go with Hil, and you nobody, and well, I thought that you two could go as friends and all, but I don't know." Duo rambled, fiddling with the end of his braid. "I don't mind you going to prom with her, but I'm just worried that she'll do something and I just wish that-" 

Heero caught Duo's wrists and pulled him close. They laid side by side on the blanket, their arms wrapped casually around the other's waist. "I wanted to go to prom with you." Heero said as he pushed back Duo's feathery bangs and watched them fall back over his eyes. 

"I know, but I promised Hil. I just thought maybe you two could be as close as we are, but I still can't forgive what she did. I know that you care about her-" 

"Not as much as I care about you." 

"Okay, who are you and where's my Heero?" Duo exclaimed, standing up and began to walk away. "He's never this sappy." 

Heero jumped up and began to chase Duo. They began to dodge through the trees, their dinner long forgotten. Catching Duo at the waist, Heero pulled him close and kissed him soundly. 

"Dude! Not you too!" Nick exclaimed, and there was a sound of a heavy box falling to the ground, followed by a loud yelp. 

"My babies!" Jay's howl could be heard. Duo and Heero turned in the direction of the commotion, they were standing right in front of the hotel. Jay was huddled in front of the large box, lifting up large pieces of lighting equipment. "Are you alright?" 

Nick was gaping at them, while Wufei was hopping up and down in a wild circles while holding onto his foot. 

"I think it's broken!" 

"No, the box was padded, everything's okay." 

"You fucking-" Wufei hissed. He trailed off into a bunch of obscenities before collapsing to the ground. 

"Dude?" 

*********************************************************************** 

Relena hanged her dress on the bedroom door, and stared at it longingly. It was perfect, she knew that Heero would love it. She imagined that she would walk down the stairs, and he would see her looking as radiant as she had ever been. They would dance close and he was remember all of the good times they had together and would accept her apology and take her back. It just had to work. Suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Miss Relena?" her butler called up to her. "Mister Yuy is here to see you." 

"Be right down!" She said as she stopped in front of her mirror to check her appearance. Running out of her room, she bounded down the stairs, a bright smile on her face. Once she spotted Heero in the doorway, she latched onto him, hugging him tightly. 

He didn't hug back. 

"Relena," he said as he pried her off of his body. "I came to tell you that I am seeing someone right now and that you shouldn't get your hopes up about us getting back together. I do care about you, and I'll always love you, but only as a friend. I've kept my promise to never leave you, but I couldn't lie to you. Not anymore." 

"What? I thought that, my friends said that-" 

"He didn't want you to know until after prom because he was afraid of how you would react." 

"He?" 

"Yes, I'm in love with Duo." 

TBC 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

[1] My stagecraft instructor and I spent an entire day doing that. I mildly shocked myself twice, and my instructor gave me props for the fact I didn't cringe from the sparks. He said, "Looks like we've got an engineer on our hands." ^_^ 

[2] Jay's refering to light colors. No Color Blue (My instructor's fave) looks blue under dim lights but the brighter the light gets the more white it becomes. #51 (Surprise Pink) is another fave because it is a neutral purplish shade (get the 'surprise'?). #02 is a real ugly yellow. 

The TechN9ne song, probably one of the few rap songs I like this year, is called "It's Alive". Yeah, there's a lot of KC references in that one (I live outside of KC, but it's close by). ^_^


	10. Part 10

Author's note: This was my second go with this chapter. My first verson of this disappeared from my computer disk, but I'm liking this version better. I'm so, so sorry that this took so long to update. *HUG* Hope you like! 

***************************************************************** 

"In love. . . with Duo." Relena stated slowly, her body slowly sinking into the doorframe. She gripped onto the door handle and forced her body to remain upright. Staring at her ex-boyfriend in muted silence, she began to tremble slightly. 

"Relena, I just wanted you to know that I still care about you and I want to be your friend." Heero continued to speak, but Relena's anger had already drowned out his words. 

"Go home." she whispered silently. 

"Relena," he whispered. 

"Get away from me!" Relena screamed before slamming the door in his face. She leaned against the closed door, tears falling unnoticed down her face. Heero's statement loomed through her mind in countinuous circles, it's blow sharpening with every pass. Anger, embarrassment, and hate bled into her mind; leaving her with her only option available: denial. Pounding on the door once, she ran into the main living room and reached for the telephone. She dialed frantically. The answering machine picked up after the fourth ring. 

"Leave a message after the tone." the pre-recorded voice stated. 

"Heero!" she shrieked as the tone sounded. "Very funny! I'm not laughing! Your little stunt a minute ago changes nothing! You here me! Nothing! If you think you can make me stand you up for our date, well you're wrong! You *are* taking me to prom tomorrow! To think I almost believed you. . . I don't know what game you and Duo are playing, but it stops now!" 

Slamming the phone down on the receiver, she ran out into the hallway, grabbed her purse, and stormed out of the house. 

********************************************************************* 

"I almost killed him!" Jay wailed into Trowa's shoulder. His former basketball teammates surrounded the distraught teen. 

"Wufei just broke his foot." Trowa said for the tenth time. "He'll be fine." 

"Oh yeah! Then why did they have to use an ambulance, huh?" he asked, sniffling loudly. 

"His temper caused him to hyperventilate and he passed out." Nick reasoned, patting Jay on the shoulder. "Not your fault entirely." 

"I know. . ." Jay trailed off dejectedly. 

Nick grinned. "But, man did you fuck up his foot!" 

"Dude!" Jay gushed, letting go of Trowa's shoulder to sling an arm around Nick's neck. They proceded to give each other their special handshake. "I never seen a foot get that big." 

"Or purple." Nick added as the shake ended. "And then they had to cut off his shoe, man!" 

"I'm glad he was knocked out, that looked like it hurt." Jay admonished. The two teens chuckled nervously as they scanned the room. 

"She's light enough. . ." Nick whispered to Jay. Trowa sighed as he heard this and walked over to Quatre, who was instructing a small group of people. 

"Okay, you three go help Jay with the lights. Try not to drop anything, we don't need another casualty. John, check with the DJ, make sure he has everything he needs. Trowa. . ." 

"Present." 

"How's Jay holding up?" Quatre asked as he turned to face Trowa. 

Trowa titled his head in Jay and Nick's direction. Quatre leaned sideways to peer around Trowa's body. The tall basketball players were currently tossing a short-haired girl back and forth, obscenities spewing from her mouth. 

"If one hair is unsettled from my head. . . I just got back from the salon. . . put me down!" Hilde shouted, elbowing Nick in the ribs the second he had her in his arms. He groaned before crumbling to the floor. Jay began to laugh wildly at his friend then opted to bounce over to his new light crew. 

"To think, he was bawling for thirty minutes straight." Quatre mused. 

"They have the attention span of a goldfish." Trowa noted. The pair nodded to themselves as Hilde rushed up to them. 

"I came as soon as I could." she said, gasping for air. "How's Wuffie?" 

"The ambulance took him to the hospital. Mrs. Noin followed behind to check up on him. Duo's on the phone with her now." Quatre informed her as he nodded in the direction of the lobby. 

******************************************************************** 

"His parents are furious, Duo." Mrs. Noin hissed into her cell phone as she positioned herself on the waiting room couch. Her eyes scanned the outdated magazines and picked up the closest one. CoalMining Now? 

"I would be too!" she heard Duo exclaim on the other line. "How many bones broke?" 

She told him, tossing the mag aside and grabbing the next one. 

"Ow, that many? I didn't think those things would be that heavy." 

"How are things going over there?" she asked, flipping through the worn National Geographic. 

"No need for the paramedics yet, I'm afraid." Duo sighed dramatically, causing them both to erupt into nervous laughter. Duo quickly began to fill his principal in on the current events. "We're almost done, Quatre's just going over the last details and I think I saw Hilde come running in. Her hair looks great! It's all glittery looking." 

"Duo-" 

"Don't worry, she's not knocking off the 'do you sported at your wedding." 

"Duo-" 

"Mrs. Noin, are you on your cell? Let me talk to Wu!" 

"Duo-" 

"This is strictly business, I swear." 

"I'd love to, but he's with his parents at the moment and I'm the last person they want to see at the moment." 

"Is he going to be at prom tomorrow?" he asked. 

"He's pretty set on it." she reassured him, grinning. Wufei's ultimatum looked (and sounded) extremely ridiculous. 

"I helped plannnnnned did it thish prom," the morphine induced teen slurred. "I will be there! An' if anybody la...la...lau...laughs... I'll kick 'em! With this damned foot!" 

She laughed right then and there in the ER. Wufei laughed right along with her. His parents didn't see the humor at all. She closed the magazine and stood, hoping that her presence was no longer needed. 

"When everyone is done decorating, you and Hilde stay in the ballroom until I come back to lock up, okay?" 

"No prob." Duo sang on the other end. "See you later." 

*********************************************************************** 

Duo hung up the phone, and began to walk toward the main lobby when he saw Relena storm into the hotel. She broke into a run and froze at the ballroom entrance. Her face sported a very unflattering scowl, and she was still flushed from running. Puffy, red eyes scanned the room, ready to strike at any given moment. 

"This is not good." he muttered as he watched Relena select her first victim. As he walked towards the ballroom, only one word could be heard muttered repeatedly from his lips. 

"Shit." 

*********************************************************************** 

"Have you seen Duo?" Relena barked, gripping a bewildered girl by the shoulders. The girl shook her head nervously. Relena huffed loudly and ran up to another student. No one seemed to know where their leader was, and it was only infuriating her more. 

"Trowa!" she yelled as she spotted the tall teen standing next to his blonde friend. As she approached the pair, she realized how close he was standing next to Quatre. His hand was lightly grazing the other teen's waist and was nonchalantly peering over the blonde's shoulder. 

"Have you seen, Duo?" she snapped, causing the couple to jump at the sound of her voice. 

"Um, he's. . ." Quatre stammered quietly, not knowing how to handle the situation. "I don't know." 

"Don't play games with me! I know you're Duo's friend." she scoffed. "You know where he is, don't you, Trowa?" 

"He's not here." Trowa said, his voice low. Quatre nodded, his eyes cleary showing disdain. 

"I don't even know why I should be asking *you* for help." she said off-handedly. 

"Hey Princess!" Hilde sang, side-stepping Quatre to sling an arm around Relena's shoulders. 

"They're like him." she hissed at Hilde while tilting her head in Quatre and Trowa's direction. 

"Who?" 

"Duo." 

"Oh." 

"Where is he?" 

"Hell if I know." the dark haired girl sighed, rolling her eyes. "You ok?" 

"I'm far from okay, Hilde." Relena growled. "Now, where is Duo?" 

"I told you, I don't know." Hilde insisted. "But if you're not here to help out, you can't stay." 

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Duo." she protested. 

"You can talk to him tomorrow-" 

"I need to talk to him NOW!" she shouted, causing Hilde to step back. The room became eerily silent, as all in the room paused to stare at them. 

"I don't know what crack you're smoking, but try raising your voice at me again." Hilde challenged, stepping forward. 

"Oh really?" Relena countered. Before the two could lunge at each other's throats, Trowa and Quatre stepped in between the two girls. Arguing ensued around the small group, the boys trying to prevent violence, the girls attempting to initiate it. A large crowd had gathered around them, all eyes glued to each and every word uttered from everyone's mouth. Duo edged his way through, and pulled a very irate Relena aside. 

"Relena, what's up?" Duo askedly softly. 

"You bastard." she snarled. 

Duo chuckled, trying to make light of the scene. "Whoa, there, Princess. You seem to be angry about something." he said calmly. "Care to go somewhere private to talk about this?" 

"No." 

"Okay, what's bothering you? But please make it quick. We have a lot of nosy people that have work to get done and they won't finish until you leave." 

"Don't patronize me." she snapped. "You must think I'm stupid." 

"Look," he interjected, his patience wearing thin. "I don't know what I've done to upset you, but you're really starting to piss me off." 

"You? You're pissed off at me?" Relena laughed bitterly. "I know you put him up to it. Made him say those awful things." 

"Relena, I have no clue what you are talking about. Now if you'd just-" 

"No, I need to hear you say it." 

"Say what? You're not making any-" 

"I want you to tell everyone here the truth." she pleaded, motioning to the large crowd around her. "Heero loves me, doesn't he?" she asked slowly, making sure each word of her question was heard by everyone. Duo blinked, then shrugged. 

"He does." 

"So he was lying?" she continued with her questioning, her voice strained. 

"Lying?" he asked. His confusion startled her, Duo knew nothing of her conversation earlier that day. But he had to; it was all Duo's idea to make her mad, wasn't it? 

"He doesn't really love you." she stated coldly. In her mind it was a fact, but as she said it, the words materialized into a lie. Again, his expression unnerved her, anger lined with fear crossed his features. Reality hit hard; it was still difficult to admit it. 

"He was just saying that to make me mad, right?" Relena asked for the last time. She hoped that he would recant and admit to the lie. That Heero did truly care for her. That her lie was indeed the truth. It never came. Instead, the relief that washed over Duo's face told her just the opposite. "Right?" 

Duo just shook his head and turned from her. She watched his retreating back and slowly faced the facts that loomed before her. 

Heero loved Duo, not her. 

Heero was gay. 

She just made a fool of herself. 

Looking around the room, she saw that the crowd was slowly dispersing. Everyone was murmuring and whispering among themselves, few dared to look her in the eye. She knew that next week she would be the laughing stock of the entire school. Feeling the emotional weights tied to her ankles, she tried to flee the room unnoticed. As she began her trek out of the ballroom, she noticed Quatre staring sympathetically in her direction. All anger he had shown toward her earlier was replaced with concern for a distraught classmate. If anything, she could sense his pity. 

Above all things, she did not want pity. Especially from that boy. He had no clue what she was going through. Quatre was happy with his gay boyfriend, he was loved. He happened to be Duo's best friend. 

She suddenly hated him. Why was she the only one here disgusted by this? Everyone in the building seemed to take *their* side, no one seemed shocked about Duo's new relationship. It almost seemed as if they scorned her for not understanding, for being reasonable. Heero broke her heart, and she was the bad guy? 

"You're all sick! All of you!" she screamed as she reached the ballroom doors. 

Hilde watched the blonde girl run out into the lobby, her hysterical sobs echoed off the expansive walls. Duo was also watching, but as he began to give chase, Hilde pulled him back. 

"No, I've got this." she whispered. Their eyes locked momentarily and Duo grinned before heading in Quatre and Trowa's direction. Steeling herself, Hilde followed the distraught girl out of the hotel. 

************************* 

Relena jumped into her car and forcefully slammed her door shut. Sobbing, she fumbled to place the key into the ignition, only to drop her keychain on the floor. Emitting a loud curse, she bent to retrive it, only to hear the passenger door open slightly. 

"Yo, Princess, quite a scene back there." Hilde stated as she slid into the car. 

"Leave me alone." Relena sniffed. She punched the steering wheel, giving up on her attempts to start the car. Her hands refused to work properly, all they did was tremble. 

"When have I ever listened to you?" Hilde chided, handing Relena a crumpled tissue from her pocket. "Here, take this." 

"When did you decide to be my best friend?" 

"Oh, I still think you're a bitch." Hilde quickly reassured her. "But I sympathize with you. No, change that. I pity you, but I know how you feel." 

"Yeah right." 

"I'm really getting tired of this attitude. Move, I'll drive you home." Relena stared at Hilde for a long moment, not knowing what the teen was up to. Too tired to protest, she reluctantly traded seats with the girl. Hilde drove for a few minutes before speaking. "Who hooked you up with Heero?" 

"You did." Relena answered as she rested her forehead against her window. She watched the sidewalk fly by with disinterest, Hilde's questions nothing more but an annoying distraction. 

"Didn't you think it was an odd thing for me to do such a nice thing?" 

"I never thought anything about it." she murmured quietly. 

"I hated you more back then." the girl reminded her. Relena shrugged her shoulder. 

"Freshman year, who was my boyfriend?" 

"I don't know. I really didn't care." she admitted. 

"Think about it." 

"Why don't you just tell me like a normal person?" Relena sighed. "You're too much like Du. . .oh." 

"Duo didn't want anyone to know. About him liking guys, I mean. He wasn't sure at the time, he just thought it was a crush. I was Duo's girlfriend since the fifth grade, then we reached high school and I learned he might be bi. 

"He told me he had feelings for his best friend, but not to worry since he loved me. But I was so jealous, they were so damn close. He never looked at me the way he looked at him. Whenever they were together, they just had this attitude about the world, as if they were the only ones in it. I became a spectator. I resented it. He always took Heero's side in fights. The three of us fought a lot. One day I realized that his "crush" was more than that. I blew up, tried anything I could to keep us together. It only pushed us apart. After awhile, I just wanted him to suffer." 

Relena stared in silence as she listened to Hilde talk, her usual light tone was tinged with hidden bitterness. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, yet none fell. Relena was frozen in place, her voice refusing to sound. She wanted to ask Hilde why she was telling her this story, and what it had to do with her problems. 

"I knew he was going to dump me at any second, so I started a rumor. All I had to do was tell Suzie about it, and volia. Controversy in the morning! Duo was made an outcast." 

She paused, Relena noted that Hilde was silently sobbing. 

"But Duo came out last year." Relena pointed out, finally regaining her voice. 

"The rumors about his sexuality started the year before that. It was awful. You wouldn't remember it since you were dealing with all that trauma with your family, but at one point he was isolated from everyone. He avoided his friends, especially Heero. And for the most part they avoided him. I was it. I got him back. 

"I found a way to get Heero out of the equation, with you. I didn't think you two would last as long as you did, but I thought at the time that you two were perfect for each other. With me and Duo seen everywhere together, the rumors died out. But we weren't happy. Of course Duo found out what I did, and I almost lost him. Do you want to lose Heero?" 

"I can't believe you used me like this." she scoffed as Hilde pulled her car into the drive. "And Heero, too!" 

"I used everybody back then, and I'm not proud of it." Hilde snapped, parking the car and turned off the ignition. "I have regrets. Too many regrets. I'm still trying to make things right. In my heart, I knew that Heero loved Duo as much as Duo did, but Heero was scared. Hell, Duo was scared. Heero was lonely and you were lonely, so it worked out. Maybe he grew to love you, but not enough. I'm sorry." she said mournfully. Turning on her heel, she began to walk down the driveway. "Hey, you can blame this whole fiasco on me if you want, but don't blame Duo. He deserves to be happy." 

"Hilde, wait!" Relena shouted after staring at Hilde's retreating form. Running up to her at the end of the driveway, she gripped her arm. "Let me call Pagan, he could give you a ride back to the hotel." 

"I thought you hate me." 

"Oh, I still do, but now I understand you somewhat." she admitted. "We finally found something that we have in common." 

"Yeah, whatever you do, don't repeat my past." Hilde emplored as they walked back up the driveway, arms linked. "You'll end up full of guilt and regret. Eventually Duo forgave me, but it took him a long time to trust me again. I still feel like I owe him. I know he loves me. Not the way that I loved him, though. But as long as he loves me as a friend, I'll be happy." 

********************************************************************** 

"Relena's still upset, but I doubt she'll try anything stupid tomorrow." Hilde said as she hugged Duo from behind. 

"You didn't kill her, did you?" he asked her wearily. The pair laughed and began to carry the empty boxes out to the truck. "Wow, prom hasn't even started and we've already had drama." 

"Dude, that's a good thing!" Jay cheered, walking behind them. "That means that tomorrow's just going to be perfect!" 

"No, dumbass, don't you know anything about Murphy's Law?" Nick snapped and lightly kicked Jay in the shins. 

Jay blinked. "I don't remember that from American Government." 

*********************************************************************** 

Hilde and Duo stood in the center of the empty dance floor and stared at their surroundings. The last commitee member had left, and they were waiting for Mrs. Noin's arrival. The prom site was flawless, every detail from the drawings were now before them. Wufei would be proud, it looked even better than they had imagined. 

"Hil?" Duo asked as he kicked a balloon on the floor. 

"Hmm?" 

"I saw that sad look on your face when you came back from talking to the Princess." he said, drawing his best friend into a hug. "What did you tell her?" 

"Everything." she admitted after a brief second. 

"Truth hurts, don't it?" he asked, tightening the hug. 

Hilde nodded and leaned into the hug. "Do you love me?" she asked. 

"Always will, idiot." 

"Good, cause I still love you." she murmured into his shoulder. She looked into his eyes and began to grin mischievously. Duo returned the smile. 

"Go ahead and say it, I know you want to." 

"You two've been dating for a few weeks and you're already usuing the L word!" she scolded, tapping Duo's chest accusingly. "Are you two having sex?" 

"Hilde!" he gasped, jumping away from her. 

"Come on, I have to know." she insisted, grabbing his arm. "Is he a good kisser?" 

"Lalalala!" Duo sang as he began tossing balloons in her direction. 

"Who's bigger?" 

Duo's eyes bulged. "I'm not having this conversation with you!" 

"Oh! You two *are* having sex!" she exclaimed as she tackled his waist. 

"No, we are not!" 

"Shame, with an ass like that-" 

"Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. On this farm he had a bitch! E-I-E-I-O!" 

"So have you rented a room yet?" 

"Bitch, bitch here, and a bitch, bitch there. . ." 

******************************************************************** 

Mrs. Noin entered the ballroom to find Duo cowering in a corner singing the most obscene version of 'Old McDonald' she ever heard, and Hilde was sitting at a nearby table, galefully asking Duo initimate questions about his love life. 

"Are you the top or the bottom?" 

"And on this farm he had a-" 

"Do you have protection?" 

"CHANGE THE SUBJECT ALREADY!" 

"Tomorrow's going to be interesting." Mrs. Noin whispered to herself as she entered the room. Whether she was excited or apprehensive of the upcoming event was yet to be seen. This was her first prom as prinicpal, but her predecessor gave her this one piece of advice. 

"Be ready for anything and everything. No matter what, shit is going to happen whether you want it to or not." 

TBC 


	11. Prom!

Prom Planning 11

"I want you to be free," Hilde sang softly, her attention largely focused on putting her earrings on. "Don't worry about me. And just like the movies we play out our last scene." 

Once her task was completed, she skipped over to the full-length mirror hanging on her closet door. Hilde ran her fingers along thin spaghetti straps of her navy gown. The rhinestone design that decorated the bodice shimmered in her reflection; similar gems had been placed strategically in her hair. 

"Shiny," she commented as she pirouetted. "Should I use the glitter body spray?" 

"Hilde!" her older brother Harry shouted. From the sound of his voice, Hilde guessed he probably was still planted on the living room couch--the room right under her own. 

"What?" she yelled at the floor. 

"Your ex-boy toy is here, Snookie-poos!" 

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she grabbed her purse. She slipped on her wide-heeled sandals and gracefully walked down the stairs. She walked into the living room, where her brother was interrogating Duo. He was leaning against the fireplace. Duo was wearing the classic black tux that she saw him pick up the day before, but the shirt and tie was completely different. The dress shirt was black, possibly navy, and the tie was a dark, metallic gray. 

"Yo, Duo. Why are you taking the dingbat to prom? I thought you two are dating other people?" her brother asked, flipping his body on the couch so that his head brushed the floor. 

"I dunno." Duo shrugged. 

"Are you gay or something?" he asked with a wry smile on his face. 

"Shut up, asswipe. I asked him to prom first." Hilde interjected from the doorway. "And...he is gay. So there, Pookie." 

"Whatever," Harry snorted, falling off the couch. 

Duo looked up and grinned. He walked over to her side, jumping over Harry's head. 

"You look fab as always, Hil." Duo gushed, giving her a hug. 

"You too." 

"Oh, gag me." Harry moaned as he stood and strolled out of the room. "The only reason he's taking you, Snookie, is because you look like a boy in drag!" 

"You little, son of a. . .oh, you will die." Hilde called after him. "In your sleep! Of presumably natural causes! And I'm going to tell all the girls at college your nickname, Poo-kie!" 

"Mooom!" 

"Hilde, stop threatening your brother." Hilde's mother shouted from the hallway. 

"Everybody knows daddy's going to kill him anyway." Hilde answered in a singsong voice. 

"I love your family." Duo asked, offering his arm for her to latch on to. "Ready to go? Our chariot awaits." 

"Hold the phone, my corsage?" Hilde asked, tugging on Duo's arm. "Don't forget, we have to endure the obligatory temporary blindness induced by my parents." 

"In the hallway, m'lady." he said. "Your mom's gushing over the corsage I bought, and your dad's fiddling with the lighting in the foyer." 

The pair froze when they heard scuffling in the foyer, followed by loud, high-pitched squeal. 

"Damnit! Give me that extension cord." Hilde's father yelled. 

"No!" Harry screeched. There is a loud whipping sound of plastic hitting flesh. 

"Ow! Don't play with me, boy. I will strangle you." 

"Bite me!" 

"Oh, I'll bite you alright. Come here." 

"Mom!" 

"June!" 

"Harold! Harry!" Hilde's mom shouted. 

"June, I didn't mean, he start-" 

"Mom, he started it!" Harry pleaded. 

"For goodness sake, will you BOTH please act your age! We have company." 

"It's just Duo, Mom." 

"But it's prom. Pookie, go get Daddy's camcorder from the closet over there. And quit hitting each other with the extension cord!" 

"And people wonder where you get your playful, yet malicious nature from." Duo laughed as he led Hilde into the foyer. 

"Don't forget spiteful and mean," Hilde added. 

"At least you're honest." Duo conceded. "You get that from your mother." 

"Duo, black on black on black?" June asked for the second time. "At least it matches. Snookie, did you have to go with such a dark color? You looked so nice in that fuchsia-" 

"Mother, stop." Hilde whined. Duo led Hilde over to the doorway, where it appeared to be the brightest. Harold proceeded to take picture after picture while Harry made faces. 

"I think they look nice." her father commented, clicking the shutter repeatedly. 

"They look like they're going to a funeral, Harold." June muttered, as she handed the corsage to Duo to put on Hilde's wrist. 

"Yeah, Harry's." Harold muttered as he took another picture. 

"Harold!" 

******************************************************************** 

"Ow, my eyes." Duo groaned, as he fell back against the soft leather seat. Hilde and Duo had used the money they earned from their tips to rent a black stretch limo for the night. Duo watched from squinted eyes as Hilde fiddled with the small TV inside. 

"I can still see spots." 

"There will be more of those when we get to prom, I guarantee it." Duo joked. 

"Where to, sir? Ma'am?" a stuffy voice sounded from the intercom. Duo and Hilde shared a look. 

"Are you sure this is where you want to go for dinner?" Duo asked for the tenth time this week. 

"Why not? We can afford it." 

"Yeah, but we could always go-" 

"No, my mind is made up." Hilde said. 

Duo pressed the button on the intercom. "McDonalds, please." 

"Drive-thru or indoors?" the man asked as they pulled into the parking lot. 

"Hil?" 

"I bought cameras for photo tag." Hilde sang tauntingly, pulling out two disposable cameras from her purse. 

"You're a genius." Duo laughed as he pressed the button again. "Indoors, my good man." 

********************************************************************** 

Relena wanted to scream. Here she was, sitting at the Majestic steakhouse, a candlelit dinner placed in front of her and her date. Couples from the high school were there; their eyes glanced over at them--the perfect couple. Heero looked handsome in his white jacket with a long shawl collar and black trousers. The shirt under his black vest was white with a wing tip collar with a black bow tie. His hair was unruly as always, but it suited him well. Relena eyed her powder blue gown. The low, satin bodice was modestly cut with thin spaghetti straps. The poufy skirt was lined with light blue crinoline and covered with layers upon layers of tulle. A light blue satin bow trailed the back. They looked perfect. Only one thing bothered her. 

Every time she glanced over at Heero, his mind seemed to be elsewhere. 

"So, Duo's taking Hilde to prom?" she asked, her voice too high. Heero nodded once and continued to cut into his steak. "That's nice. . . they seem real close. . .how's the steak?" 

Again, Heero nodded. 

"This is really awkward," Relena finally admitted. "If you want, we don't have to go-" 

"I said I would take you to prom and I am." Heero finally said. 

"Is that it? Are you only here with me because of your damn sense of duty?" she whispered harshly. "Well, I don't want your pity. If you think-" 

"If I did not want to be here, I wouldn't." 

"But you'd rather be with Duo." she stated. Picking at her salad, she pondered various excuses for her to cancel the date without adding to the scandal, which seemed to hover over her head. Heero knew nothing about her outlandish behavior at the hotel, but she could guess that he would find out sooner or later. 

"Why such the long face, Princess?" the waiter drawled, as he gracefully refilled Relena's glass of water. "A face as beautiful as yours shouldn't look so down." 

"T-thank you." 

"Charmed!" he gushed. Grabbing a nearby chair from an empty table, the waiter sat at the table in between them. "May I?" 

"I guess it's okay. . ." Relena trailed off. 

"Don't worry about me, darling, I own the place." the slightly older man said lightly as he made a volia gesture with his hand. "I love working prom, but I just had to stop by and talk with you. Where did you get that dress?" 

Relena raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh, not for me. My sister. You see, I'm too tall. I know you're thinking, 'flame, flame, flame,' but I can't help myself. Call me Aburatsubo, everyone else does." 

"I'm Relena." 

"A beautiful name fitted for royalty. Can I call you Princess?" 

"That's her nickname at school. She doesn't like it that much." Heero stated. 

"It speaks!" Aburatsubo gasped. "What's your name?" 

"Heero." 

Leaning forward in his chair, Aburatsubo asked gently, "Can I offer some advice?" 

"Sure." Relena answered. Aburatsubo grinned and turned to look at Heero. 

"Heero, you are boring. There is no helping that. But you can attempt conversation, it won't kill you. Talk about something boring, I don't care, as long as it's talking. And two," Aburatsubo paused, grabbing a comb from his pocket. "Take this. Go to the men's room, and use it. There's nothing more embarrassing than a date that looks like he just hopped out of bed, put on a suit and left. Go! Shoo! I can't look at that unruly mop another second! I'll keep her highness company." 

"His hair wasn't that bad." Relena whispered once Heero was out of view. 

"I just needed an excuse to make him leave for a couple of minutes," he admitted calmly. "You looked like a girl looking for a reason to ditch the boy. Well, here's your chance." 

Relena began to play with the napkin in her lap. "Is it that obvious?" 

"When someone looks at the exit sign every thirty seconds, they probably want to leave." 

"We really didn't want to come to prom together." 

"And why did you? There's nothing wrong with going stag. With your looks, you could probably go home with three dates." 

"He used to be my boyfriend." 

"Oh, you're going to prom with the dreaded ex." 

"Actually, I'm the dreaded ex." Relena said, sighing deeply. "I mean, if Heero's *boyfriend* could go to prom with his ex-girlfriend, why can't he?" 

"Oh, the drama unfolds." Aburatsubo drawled lamely. "What else happened?" 

"Well. . ." Relena started, but changed her mind. Aburatsubo grinned and leaned back in the chair. 

"Wow. You can't really tell these days. He looked pretty straight to me." 

"I really didn't want to go to prom." she whispered. 

"But you did. So make the most of it." he advised, patting her hand. "Does his boyfriend get along with his ex?" 

"They're best friends." 

"Don't you think that that's what Heero wants to be with you?" he asked knowingly. "He may not be the most vocal, but I can tell that he still cares a great deal about you." 

Before Relena could reply, a waif-ish girl practically flew in their direction. The violet haired girl was dressed in the hostess uniform, and she was rambling a mile a minute. 

"Aburatsubo! Ken dropped four bottles of wine! There's glass and wine everywhere. Nuriko's shoes are ruined and he's pissed. Marron's not coming in for the night shift, Gateau's sick, or so they say; Carrot's on strike, something about wanting you to hire straight men, Takeo's hiding, Chocolate is fighting again with Mille Feulle, hence the Carrot strike, Ernest-" 

"I'm on my way, Dotta!" he said abruptly, standing from the table. 

"-Akane can fill for Marron; for five minutes or something like that, and my uniform's all wrinkled because I had to stop a fight between Heiad and Ze-" 

"Dotta, I'm not your mother, you don't have to tell me everything." 

"Oh, speaking of Mama; she told me to tell you she can't do the jazz thing Friday and to ask-" 

"Dotta!" Aburatsubo exclaimed as he grasped Dotta's shoulders to calm her down. Pushing the girl toward the direction of the kitchen, he turned to face Relena. "It's so hard to find good help these days. Leave five minutes and you get mayhem. I hope you and Heero have a great time at prom." Relena watched the pair walk into the back of the restaurant before erupting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. 

"What's so funny?" Heero asked he returned from the bathroom, his hair halfway presentable. 

"You think we have problems?" she giggled, trying to hide her laughter behind her napkin. Just then, another member of the staff flew from the kitchen doors and stomped over to the bar. 

"These were pure white leather. Leather!" the waiter cried as he poured himself a shot and downed it. "Now look at them!" 

"That's what you get for wearing those damn shoes. I told you to keep them at home." the bartender huffed. 

Relena quickly filled Heero in on the Majestic's interesting and lively staff. 

"Maybe Duo should work here." they both commented at the same time. 

"Nah, too much competition for you." Relena stated with a laugh. "He would work here for five minutes and you'd be steaming with jealousy and-ohmigod," 

"You sounded like Hilde." Heero finished. 

"I guess there's hope for us yet." she said softly. "But if you start sounding like Duo, I'll kill you. And if I keep sounding like Hilde, feel free to kill me. Deal?" 

"Deal." 

"Heero, I have a favor to ask of you. . ." 

************************************************** 

"Cathy, we're going to be late." Quatre protested as he watched Catherine adjust Trowa's bow tie. Trowa stood listlessly as his sister picked and tugged at Trowa's black tuxedo jacket. 

"One more picture, I promise." Catherine insisted, stepping away from her brother to aim the camera at the pair. Seeing two annoyed pairs of eyes through her lens, she sighed. "Okay, okay. Last one, alright?" 

"On three." Trowa said. 

"I want you to smile in at least one of these Trowa! I swear, you can be so damn-" 

"Three." 

"You call that count-" 

Before anyone could blink, Trowa had opened the door to the apartment he shared with Catherine and sprinted down the hallway. 

"Trowa!" Quatre and Catherine exclaimed at the same time. 

Catherine sighed. "Have fun, and make sure to behave yourselves." 

"Yes Cathy." Quatre said, hugging her briefly before stepping out of the apartment. "See you tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow! How long is prom nowadays?" 

Quatre found Trowa at the entrance to the apartment building, leaning against the metal mailboxes nailed to the wall. 

"Is she really that bad, Trowa?" 

"You've never seen her at her worst." he stated. "Never tell that woman 'no' if you value your well being." 

"Well, you know we're going to have to get the professional pictures done once we get there." Quatre said as they entered their limousine for the night. As he leaned against the black leather seats of the car, his white tuxedo glowed in the interior lights. 

"Quatre, we took enough pictures-" Trowa started, only to be cornered by wide blue eyes. "You're not any better." 

"Nope," he laughed, kissing Trowa lightly. "I guess you're out of luck." 

"You are evil, do you know that?" 

"You know you love me." 

"Fine, I'll take the damn pictures." 

************************************************* 

"Wufei!" Mrs. Noin exclaimed as the Chinese teen slowly walked up to her. His white, mandarin collar jacket was unbuttoned to reveal the black and gray patterned vest underneath. The black pants were tailored nicely, though one was raised slightly to accommodate the large black orthopedic boot underneath. The boot allowed him to walk, but at an exaggerated stride. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better than yesterday," he said as he handed his ticket to her. Mrs. Noin motioned to the corsage box in Wufei's hand. 

Wufei paused to look at the small box in his hand and grinned. "My date," he answered as he turned away from Mrs. Noin. Swinging the boot forward, he ambled into the ballroom; the loud bass beat masking the metallic clank of the hinges. 

"Date?" Zechs whispered to his wife. "Are you sure he's not on drugs? He sure looked happy taking a corsage to prom." 

"That wasn't funny." 

"I thought it was. Okay, how about this? A Chinese Robocop reject on drugs." 

"Honey, you teach advanced physics." she sighed as she took another student's ticket. "You have no sense of humor." 

"Hmm." he grunted. Leaning back in his chair, he began to contemplate and prepare for their next conversation. It always ended in a debate of some form. Mrs. Noin grinned to herself and continued to greet the students, ready for her husband to strike with some off-color joke. Jay and Nick strutted into the hotel, both in contrasting blue and black zoot suits. 

"Zechs, you owe me five." Noin muttered. 

"What?" 

"Dollars." she replied as she took the laughing teens tickets. "At dinner I bet you five dollars that we would have zoot suits and there you go. In fact, I spy two zoot suits. Should that be ten then?" 

"We never shook on it." 

"But you agreed to it." 

"I don't think "Hm" can be considered as an affirmative." 

"Nor a negative, but with you I can only guess in my favor." 

Zechs could only sigh in defeat. 

***************************************************************** 

"Hear that?" Hilde asked as she walked into the hotel lobby. The muffled rhythms wafted around them. Duo shrugged. "Oh, buck up. You masterminded the masterpiece that is prom!" 

"Yeah, but-" 

"If you mention him again, I swear I'm ditching you." she sighed as she led him in the direction of the professional photos that was situated in the room opposite from the prom site. A small line was already formed. 

"Don't you want to go in?" 

"No way! This way we beat the photo rush, still be fashionably late, and all of the corny songs will be out of rotation." 

"Point taken." Duo said as he heard the opening riffs to the "Thong Song" begin. He watched other students enter the prom site. The girls at his school were dressed elaborately in flowing, bright, glittery gowns. Some attempted bolder colors, some flaunting more skin than one would expect at prom. Most of the boys in his class appeared to have rented their tuxes at the same bridal shop, for they all appeared to be dressed identical minus the colors of their copper bunds. 

Duo spotted Quatre and Trowa enter in their contrasting color tuxedos and waved. Quatre returned the wave and began to walk toward them. Trowa saw the line and ushered Quatre in the other direction. Quatre laughed and whispered something in his boyfriend's ear, resulting in an unreadable glare in response. Laughing even harder, Quatre passed Mrs. Noin their tickets. 

"I wonder what that was about." Hilde murmured. "Maybe-" 

"Don't even start, gutterbrain." Duo warned, turning to scold her. 

"You're thinking it too, I know you are." she countered playfully. 

"Even when I think I'm safe, you have to turn me into a perv." Duo lamented as he returned to watching students enter prom. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted Heero enter with Relena on his arm. Heero began to lead her into the prom site entrance when Relena stopped suddenly. Tugging on his arm, she began to lead him to the direction of the photo line. 

'Don't let her see me, don't let her talk to me, please don't let her ruin this.' he prayed silently. Miraculously, before Heero and Relena could reach the line, it was Hilde and Duo's turn. 

**************************** 

Heero looked down the line and he immediately caught sight of Duo's long braid as it disappeared into the room. Glancing over at Relena, he could tell that she noticed him as well. 

"Remember the deal, Heero," she commented as she squeezed his arm. "It'll be all over soon, I promise." 

**************************** 

"All right babies, I see you moving, but where's the grooving? I'm throwing some old school MJ for you. I want you to get this party started! "Don't Stop Until You Get Enough" baby! Yeah!" Dan the Man bellowed from his booth. A loud cheer emanated from the large crowd already gathered in the center of the dance floor. 

Wufei looked around the room; every design he made was in place. The prom entrance was a piece of art in itself, a brief tunnel made of reflective silver paper and Christmas lights. People had to walk through the long archway to enter the world he helped to create. Purple and gold gossamer hung lightly from the ceiling and chandeliers, the effect making a flowing tent around them. The walls were covered in black gossamer with white cardboard cutouts attached on them. The cutouts were from various landmarks around the world with unusual "adjustments" to them. Balloons were scattered in every space imaginable. 

The room was dark; the only sources of light came from the stage lights that Jay scattered strategically around the room. Jay was gleefully dancing behind his light board station, his bright blue zoot suit as decorative as his surroundings. His body moved in tune to the music, each song having a different lighting scheme. Wufei loathed to ask the boy how he accomplished such a task, for he already had one injury and did not want to add another. 

Spotting his date exit the archway, he slowly stood and made his trek to greet her. She was happily admiring the surroundings, especially the entrance. 

"So Wuffie thought this up? I knew that there had to be brains in there somewhere." he heard her voice over the loud music. Duo was standing next to her, laughing lightly. Wufei chuckled. Tonight was definitely interesting. 

*************************************************************** 

"Speaking of the devil, there's my date." Hilde said, kissing Duo's cheek. 

"Date? I thought I was your date." Duo stammered. 

"No, Heero's your date." Wufei said, slowly limping to Hilde's side. 

"How much codeine are you on?" Duo asked incredulously. Pointing to Hilde, he asked, "And why are you encouraging him?" 

"See you at coronation, Maxwell." Wufei said, ushering Hilde to the dance floor. 

"Get back here! I want answers!" he called after them. Finding a nearby chair, he flopped down into it. "I just got ditched." 

As he sat contemplating his next move, Quatre came rushing up to him. "Hey, have you seen Trowa? Cool outfit...Where's Hilde?" 

Duo flicked his thumb into the direction of the dance floor. "With Wu. It looks like she had this planned with the gimp before hand. He even got her a corsage..." 

Quatre blinked. "Wow, that's a surprise." 

"Yeah." Duo shrugged. 

"Don't let this bug you, you won't be alone for long, I bet." 

"If you say so." 

"Trust me, I have a sense about these things. Oh, there he is! Trowa! Tsk, I don't care, he is getting that picture taken, see you later Duo." 

"Later," Duo sighed as he listened to a slow song start up. He watched Trowa take the song as a diversion from taking pictures by leading Quatre to the dance floor. Duo reached for a napkin and began to fold it into small squares. "Once the fast music starts up, I'll go out there." 

"Duo," Heero said, causing Duo to jump slightly. 

"Hey, Heero," Duo exclaimed, dropping the napkin in his hand. Looking around Heero, he asked, "Where's the Princess?" 

"She ditched me." He said, offering his hand for Duo to take it. "At the same time I ditched her." 

"There's been a lot of ditching tonight I'm afraid." Duo lamented playfully, taking Heero's hand and stood. "I got ditched by my best friend, who's now with my other best friend, whom I'm guessing is her new boy toy; and my boyfriend just got ditched by his ex and he ditched her; and now we're both dateless." 

"As it should be." Heero said, pulling Duo close. 

"I have no complaints." Duo grinned. 

************************** 

"Relena!" Cindy exclaimed, enveloping the girl in a big hug. "We were just talking about you. You look great! How are you?" 

"Yeah, where is, like, Heero?" Suzie asked. 

"With Duo." 

"Oh, I'm so sorry Relena!" Cindy gushed. "I saw the whole thing yesterday." 

Relena listened to the chorus of sympathy from her friends and waved them silent. "I'm okay now." 

"So, like, what do you plan to do now?" Suzie asked softly, leaning forward menacingly. The small group of girls inched forward, waiting to hear Relena's plan of action. 

"We're with you, Relena!" a girl exclaimed. "Just tell us what you want us to do and we'll do it." 

"Yeah!" the group cheered. 

"Thank you, that means a lot to me. Let's see," Relena said, scanning the room. "I see a lot of single guys looming about, and you have to admit how cool this prom looks; so I think we should go make a few laps around the dance floor before we commit to anything." 

"That's it?" Cindy asked on behalf of everyone present. 

"What did you expect?" Relena asked, laughing. "Another scene? Trust me, it gets old after awhile." 

"But Heero, like, dumped you." Suzie protested. "For another guy!" 

"He dumped me weeks ago," she countered. "Just because he ended up with Duo is not what bothered me the most. It was that Heero wasn't with me. We weren't happy. They are. Life goes on. I couldn't accept that. But I'll try." 

************************************************************** 

"Having fun?" Duo asked as he danced around his date. Heero nodded as the song gave way to a new song. They were at the center of the crowd, dancing with their friends around them, and Duo wouldn't have it any other way. Not one to dance the same way the entire night, Duo would waltz, swing, or break dance given the space or opportunity. He was asked to dance with various girls in his class, and he happily obliged them. Heero would eventually cut in; he had made it a point not to let Duo slip away from him. 

Heero wasn't much of a dancer, but he stayed on the dance floor anyway. Duo had fun trying to get Heero to attempt a new dance style. He learned fast, but after awhile he would stop to just nod his head to the music. 

Nick was everywhere, especially during slow songs to embarrass couples if they danced too close. Jay would join him periodically, and the pair would serenade songs to their friends and their dates. 

"I do, cherish you!" they sang off key to a very bewildered Trowa and Quatre. "I will, love you still!" 

"Bother Hilde." Quatre whispered, rolling his eyes. 

"Tip?" Jay asked as Nick continued to sing. 

"You mean silence fee," Trowa corrected as he handed Jay a quarter. 

"Trowa," Quatre said, "now about that picture-" 

"Catch Quatre." Trowa whispered to Jay, handing him another quarter. 

******************************************************************* 

"Okay, we're gonna need all prom court candidates and the junior class cabinet to meet in the hallway!" Dan said as he began to play the next song. 

"That's our cue." Duo exclaimed as he danced his way off the dance floor, Heero walking behind him. 

They made their way into the hallway, where the rest of the prom court was beginning to gather. Mrs. Noin walked over and handed Duo his clipboard, and he quickly went to work. 

"Okay everybody! I need the junior court in front. Hilde with Wufei, Joan is with Chris, Relena-" 

"Here," she said calmly as she walked up to the group. They briefly glared at each other. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. 

"You're with Heero." Duo finally said, motioning to the line. Sighing, she took her place in line, her eyes lowered to the ground. Heero stood next to her and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. Looking around the group, Duo rolled his eyes. "If Jay and Nick will stop playing 'Catch-a-Quatre', we can try and line up the senior court." 

"Okay, dude." Jay said, setting Quatre on the floor. Quatre stormed up to Trowa. 

"Quit stalling!" he hissed, hitting Trowa's arm. Trowa whispered something in response and Quatre hastily replied back. 

"I don't like having my picture taken." 

"Well," Quatre drawled, and proceeded to whisper in Trowa's ear again. 

"Fine, no more stalling." Trowa conceded. 

"Good." Quatre said as he began to walk back into the ballroom. 

"Q, stay put and help me roll out the red carpet." Duo instructed, grinning at his friend. "Okay, Jay with Dorothy, Nick with Marie, and Trowa with Carol." 

"Remember to wait for the spotlight to hit you before proceeding down the aisle." Mrs. Noin informed the line. "It's just like rehearsed, no funny business. Good luck everyone, and we'll start in five minutes." 

***************************************************** 

"This year's prom princess is: Relena Darlain!" Dan exclaimed. She smiled as she received her tiara, sash, and roses. She took her place on the center of the stage as she waited for the prince to be announced. She found it odd the DJ named the princess first, but Dan the Man must have had his reasons. 

"Your prince for this year isn't even on the stage! Duo Maxwell, by popular vote, is your prom prince!" 

"Duo?" she mouthed. Looking out into the crowd, she could see he was just as shocked as her. He began to protest as Quatre pushed him in the direction of the stage stairs. 

"No, no, I dropped out, remember?" she heard him say as Mrs. Noin placed the large, blue felt crown on his head. 

"Hilde said you changed your mind and I kept your name on the ballot." Noin replied. 

"You know how she schemes." he hissed. 

"Wufei backed up her story." 

"Et tu, Wufei?" he whispered to Wufei, who was grinning smugly. 

"Heero too." Wufei added. Duo was trapped. He was the prom prince. 

He was the prince who had to dance with the princess. 

*********************************************************** 

Duo watched in a daze as Trowa was crowned prom king. The silver, metallic crown fit Trowa nicely, and they even saved enough money for a cape and scepter. He watched Marie receive her crown, and cringed as he heard the opening riffs of "A Whole New World" from the nearby speakers. Taking a deep breath, he offered his arm for Relena to take, which she reluctantly took. 

"Tell me Princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?" Duo asked along with the song as they danced under the spotlight. Relena couldn't help but grin at him. 

"Tonight," she answered. "I decided to let him go." 

"No more sabotage? Scary moments of evil?" 

"No," she laughed. Singing, she added, "I can't go back to where I used to be." 

"A whole new world?" 

"With new horizons to pursue?" Relena said, giggling. "I'm sorry I've been acting weird around you, I'm just not comfortable with you yet." 

"If it makes you feel any better, you still scare me." 

"A little." 

"Are you and Heero still friends?" 

"Yeah, I made him promise to spend time with me at least one Saturday a month for the rest of the year in exchange for one prom date." 

"Such the business woman Miss Peacecraft." 

"That's Darlian, only Noin calls me that." 

"Yes, Miss Darlian." 

"Call me Princess." 

******************************************* 

"I told you deserved to win." Heero said after the song was over. Duo stormed over in his direction and hit him with the crown. 

Duo huffed and spun in Hilde's direction. "It wasn't possible! I saw my name scratched off of the ballot." 

"Rest assured, your name was marked off of *your* ballot. It stayed on everyone else's though." 

"You little-" 

"It was Heero's plan, I'm afraid." 

"Heero?" 

"I knew you'd drop out again once you found out you were still in the race." Heero stated matter-of-factly, taking the crown and placed it back on Duo's head. 

"Okay, who planned for you and me to go to prom together?" 

"I did." Hilde admitted, raising her hand. "It took awhile for Princess to come around, but I knew she would." 

"So when did you and Wu become an item?" 

"I haven't figured that out yet," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I kinda challenged him to spend one day with me and one day grew to two, and so on and so on." 

"Ah, high school romance," Duo sighed dramatically. 

"So Heero," Hilde said slyly, sliding in between the two. "Did you rent a room for tonight?" 

"Hilde!" Duo started. 

"Just messing with you. I better go check on Wu, his foot was nagging him for a chair. We're heading to the Waffle House after the After-Prom party. If you two aren't doing anything by then, meet us there." 

"Okay Hilde, have fun with the gimp." 

"Do everything that I would do!" she sang as she worked her way into the crowd. 

"Everything?" Heero asked. 

"The night is young." Duo joked as he rested his head on Heero's shoulder. 

"We'll see," he said, tapping the large crown so that it covered Duo's eyes. 

"Well you'll have to see for the both of us, I can't see a thing." Duo laughed before repositioning the crown on the top of his head. Grabbing Heero's hand, he added, "Time to dance." 

**************************** 

"Gather round, this will be the last tune I'll be dishing out for you, so make the most of it. It's been fun, you've all been great, but we better dash before it gets late. Grab your lady, squeeze your man, have a great year, says Dan the Man. Jay, the bird with the gilded wings, open up the stars and let them shine!" 

The crowd gasped as all the lights darkened. A disco ball hidden among the gossamer was suddenly hit with white light, covering the crowd in thousands of stars. The room was suddenly bright again, the room bathed in light blue. 

"No Color Blue man!" Jay chuckled to himself as he jumped from his light board and searched for a little blond named Suzie. 

//I think I must be dreaming  
That you are here with me  
Must've died and gone to heaven  
Cause it's all that I hoped it to be//

"Looks like prom was a success." Heero said as he pulled Duo close. 

"I honestly don't care anymore," Duo admitted, "I have all that I want right here." 

"I wonder how our senior prom is going to be next year." 

"It's going to great, I've been trying to convince Q to run for Junior Class president." 

"Duo." 

"Hmm?" 

"Did you make any plans for what we're doing after prom?" 

"Not a thing." he admitted. "But I could make something up as we go along." 

"Well, what would those plans be?" 

"First, I dance under the stars with the one I adore. Then . . .and then-" Duo began to ramble when Heero silenced him with his lips. 

"Then I kiss you." 

"Maybe I should let you do the planning from now on." Duo murmured. "So what happens next?" 

//When eagles forget how to fly  
When it's twenty below in July  
And violets turn red  
And roses turn blue  
I'll be still in love  
With you//

The End 


	12. At the Waffle House

**Warnings/Spoilers**: language, suggestive dialogue and friskiness, intentional OOC, shonen-ai and stuff.   
**Disclaimer**: Gundam Wing and all its characters are the property of, um, of. . . some people and I don't own them. ^_^  
**Author's Note**: Ohmigod, I finished it! Prom Planning is done! Okay, the epilogue is a one-shot in itself, but I decided to add it as the epilogue on ff.net because, well it *is* the epilogue. It's un-beta'd and there's probably needs a little work, but it's done!!! 5 months after the end of the series to boot. Since this began as a line challenge, I ended it as such. I've included the lines left over from the original challenge along with extra lines thrown in by my sisters RenaHino and ReiAkari (love ya). 

**At the Waffle House: The Prom Planning Epilogue**

"Keep on, don't stop; don't stop till you get enough." Duo slurred as he leaned against the doorframe to Heero's house. 

"Duo, stop that." Heero muttered as he fumbled with the locks. 

"What?" he asked with a yawn. "I swear I'm not drunk. I'm sleepy." 

"Okay," Heero stated as he opened the door. "Time to move." 

"Already?" Duo whined. "My legs are like butter. You're gonna have to carry me." 

"You shouldn't have exerted yourself so much," Heero chided. Putting an arm around Duo's waist, he added, "You're still going to walk." 

"Meanie." he pouted as he was begrudingly lead inside the house. "Do you remember, when we fell in love? We were young and innocent then. . ." 

"Duo-" 

"I think Danny Boy could've played a little more MJ, don't you? Or maybe techno? I think he wasn't as balanced on the musical selections tonight." 

"The DJ was fine." 

"And we ran out of food, and the punch bowl got spiked near the end-" 

"Duo-" 

"I still don't know how those forged ballot's got by me, I could have been notified earlier- 

"Duo," Heero interrupted, placing Duo on the couch. "Prom's over, you don't have to worry about it anymore." 

"I know," Duo sighed, grabbing Heero's arm. "It's just after a big event, and all is said and done, you sit back and wonder what you did wrong and if anyone will kill you for it." 

"If you did make any mistakes, everyone was having too much fun to notice." 

"Including you?" 

"I was preoccupied making sure you didn't burn out, but yes." Heero answered, sitting down next to him. "What about you?" 

"I can't remember. I think. . ." 

"You think?" 

"Therefore I am." Duo said with a yawn. "You were there, weren't you?" 

"Yes I was." 

"So I had fun. I could be cleaning a dozen bathtubs and still enjoy it, as long as you're there with me." he concluded, as he leaned against Heero. "So, what after prom movie do you have for us to watch? Better be good since somebody absolutely refused to go to the after prom party. Now Hilde probably thinks we left to-" 

"Mars Attacks." 

"I love that movie! Isn't Natalie Portman in that one? Actually a lot of actors are in that movie." Duo rambled as he pushed Heero against the pillows and began to crawl on top of him. 

"Duo?" 

"Hmm?" Duo murmured as he stretched. 

"Do I look like a bed to you?" 

"Shhh! Just wake me up at the end when the heads start exploding." Duo insisted, kissing Heero lightly. Taking his felt crown off of his head, he placed it on Heero's before burying his face into Heero's chest. 

"Now I'm an alarm clock." 

***

"Why are we here?" Wufei asked mournfully as he surveyed his surroundings. He wondered why the small, off-of-the-highway Waffle House had been picked for the after prom breakfast to begin with. The cramped restaurant space was filled with minscule booths that were attached to the counter and kitchen. 

"That's something best answered by a minister, theologist, or anthropologist-" Hilde muttered, pausing when she heard an irritated snort from her date. "Read your menu." 

"If you call this a menu." he complained, running his finger along the tabletop. The light hit the corner, temporarily blinding him. The entire place seemed to be decorated in different intense hues of bright yellow. "Are we that dumb to need picture diagrams of everything? And what's with all the yellow?" 

"This establishment caters to the sleep deprived." Hilde chided, patting Wufei's arm. "Lack of sleep makes you dumb, dear." 

Wufei paused in his search to stare blankly at Hilde, who in turn was grinning madly. 

"Dear?" he challenged. 

"Yes, darling?" she cooed, winking conspiratorically at the waiter who was placing their coffee. 

"Darling?" 

"Hmm, honey?" 

"Honey?" 

"Precious? Sweetie? Wu-Wu? Snookie-" 

"No, Snooks, that's *your* nickname." Wufei pointed out groggily between yawns. "There will be no transference here." 

"See? You still have a few brain cells left." Hilde laughed, nudging Wufei's mug with her spoon. "Now drink your coffee. No, with sugar! That's salt." 

Wufei paused with the salt shaker in hand. Flipping off the cap, he defiantly dumped the whole container in his mug. Then, grabbing a spoon, he slowly stirred the concoction before triumphantly putting the drink to his lips. "What if I purposely choose it for flavoring?" 

"You tell me, you're the one half awake here. For a moment there, you looked pretty damn sure that was sugar." she challenged. After a long moment of silence, gagging could be heard throughout the whole restruant. "Ewww, that's gross." 

"I agree." Wufei coughed as he set down the coffee mug and motioned for the waiter. 

"That's a first." 

"I've drunk coffee with salt before." he insisted as he grabbed for his glass of water. 

"And definately the last." 

"What?" Wufei deftly raised an eyebrow. "Me drinking coffee with salt, or me agreeing with you? I can live without both." 

"You can forget anymore terms of endearment, Wufei Chang!" Hilde pouted as Wufei rolled his eyes and glanced at his watch. 

"Soap is definately better than coffee anyway." he muttered silently, abruptly changing the subject. 

"Wufei?" 

"Got to keep that squeaky clean image somehow," Wufei continued, his eyes dropping to the plastic-covered menu. 

"What's that got to do with--are you even listening to me?" 

"Of course I'm not, you're more attractive when you're angry." Wufei admitted, grunting as someone slammed into his boot. "Can we leave? That's the third time someone tripped over it." 

"Well, you don't have to have it sprawled across the aisle." 

"I hardly call that handfull of linoleum an aisle." 

"You're obstructing the minute walkway, thus you'll be tripped on." Hilde countered lightly. 

"Why are we here?" Wufei pleaded, reaching for his girlfriend's hand. 

"You asked that a long time ago." 

"I never got an answer." 

"Simple, really." she said with a grin. "I just want to see who shows up." 

He blinked. "Who did you invite?" 

"Everyone we know." 

Wufei dropped Hilde's hand as if he'd been burned. "Remind me to break up with you tomorrow." 

"Deal." Hilde noted, leaning back in the booth. "We're still watching the Sundance Channel tomorrow, but since we're 'breaking up' you can bring your own popcorn." 

"Fine, I don't like that 'kettle' flavored popcorn anyway. It's too sweet." 

"Is not." 

"Is." 

"Not." 

"Is." 

"Fine, it is too sweet." 

"Don't try to win this by agreeing with me." 

As the pair continued to playfully 'argue' with each other, students from the prom began to trickle into the small space. Some were still adorned in their prom gear, though some had changed into more casual clothing. Wufei and Hilde contrasted because of this; Hilde wearing a black shimmery blouse and dark colored jeans while her boyfriend still wore his full tuxedo. Within minutes the weary travelers had left the restraurant to be overrun by the mass of loud teenagers. 

"Hey mister!" Jay yelled to the large trucker occupying the booth beside Wufei and Hilde. "Do you mind if we join you? Our friends are sitting there and we want to sit here." 

"To talk." Nick added, waving to Wufei. The Chinese teen rolled his eyes and sunk deeper into the booth, silently saying a prayer that the man would stay in his seat. 

"Here, I'm finished." the man growled as he slid out of the booth. 

"Thanks! Don't forget your muffin!" Nick called after the man as the pair ambled through the crowd to reach the now empty booth; both tripping on Wufei's boot along the way. 

"Again Hilde, why?" Wufei winced. 

"Humor me." she whispered. 

"I thought I was." he hissed through clenched teeth. 

"You're just cranky because you refuse to take pain medication." she countered lightly, leaning across the table to brush her lips lightly across his. "Check, mate." Sitting back in her seat, she began to scan the crowd. 

"I told you I wanted to remember my prom and not bumble around like an insane idiot." he tried to argue, but it only managed to sound like a pout. "Unlike some of our friends-" 

"Look! It's the king!" Hilde announced loudly, igniting a round of cheers from the students and a glare from her boyfriend. 

"Elvis?" another trucker asked loudly from his stool. 

"Aw shuddap. They're talkin' 'bout their prom king. Look at the crown he's wearin'." the man next to him growled. 

"Son, that's a mighty nice crown you got there." the trucker called out to Trowa as the teen passed by. 

"Thank you." Trowa answered as he looked for a place for a place for him and Quatre to sit. 

"Hey Quatre!" Hilde yelled as she waved them over. "Did you ever get that picture?" 

"And if so, how?" Jay chimed in, causing everyone to stop and look at the entering pair. 

***

The grating sound of static woke Heero instantly. Adjusting his eyes to the light he stared at the television screen. Trying to sit up, he felt himself weighed down by Duo's body. Duo mumbled and grasped Heero's shirt as one would a blanket. Heero watched the teen sleep for a few minutes before deciding to wake him. 

"Duo, the movie's over." he noted, shaking Duo's shoulders. 

"I told you to wake me once the aliens' heads started exploding into goo." Duo protested into Heero's neck, his mind already entertaining ideas about nibbling Heero's ear. 

"You weren't paying attention at all." 

"Hey, if I remember, neither were you." Duo murmured, his actions following his thoughts. 

"You fell asleep on me." Heero argued. 

"I was tired." 

"You're awake now." he said as Duo's hands tightened around Heero's neck. 

"Mmm-hmm." Duo hummed, pressing himself closer to Heero's body. 

"Good, now get off of me." 

Duo propped himself up to stare at Heero's face. "That's not what I wanted to hear." 

"You have plans remember? And we're late." Heero said as Duo huffed, snatched his crown off of Heero's head, and stood up from the couch. 

"Plans?" Duo turned to stare at him curiously, repositioning the crown on his head. 

"Waffle House." he reminded him, positioning himself in a sitting position. 

"Oh." Duo said as he sat down on Heero's lap. "It was canceled." 

"Why?" 

"Because of inclement weather. No, that wasn't it. Um, fire. Yeah, it burnt down." Duo answered quickly. "I hear Hilde got nabbed. Wufei turned her in. She's gonna be charged with-" 

"Duo, we're going." 

"Did I ever tell you that you have the sexiest ears-" Duo whispered. 

"Stop that." 

"And so sensitive! I wonder about the other one-" 

"Duo, we're going." Heero stated as he stood, sending Duo crashing to the floor. 

"Sadist." 

"If we don't show up, your friend will think the worst of me." he explained as he helped Duo to his feet. 

"Nah, she'll think I seduced you into doing naughty things." 

"Exactly." 

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" Duo pouted, wrapping his arms seductively around Heero's waist. 

"Pace yourself." 

"If I were you, and you were me, would you pace yourself?" Duo asked, staring into Heero's eyes. Heero seemed to ponder this for a moment before grasping Duo's shoulders and throwing him on the couch. Leaning forward, Heero began to kiss Duo hungrily. In Duo's haze, Heero snatched Duo's crown before standing and walking to the door. 

"No, I wouldn't pace myself." Heero said as he opened the door. "But I'm not you and you're not me, and you have an obligation to fulfill. Look, the limo's waiting. You didn't pay him to sleep in my driveway. We're going." 

"And I thought I was evil." Duo muttered in a dazed stupor. 

***

"I have yet to see Heero or Duo-" Hilde started. 

"Hey Q! Get that picture?" Duo's voice called out. 

"Damn! I feel so disappointed." she moaned. "I just lost twenty dollars." 

"Why?" Quatre asked her. 

"John the bookie." Trowa and Wufei answered simultanously. 

"Wufei! I've been looking all over for you man!" the man in question exclaimed, his famous book in hand. "You were the only person to bet Heero and Duo would show. You're going to be a rich man Monday morning. . ." 

John trailed off as his eyes landed on a particular page. His eyes widened as he turned the next page. And another. He then stared at Trowa in utter terror. 

Trowa nodded before stating, "Quatre and I showed up." 

"How'd you. . ." 

"I know how you work." he answered calmly. 

"In such a business, nothing should be taken for granted." Wufei added mildly. 

"The easiest plays might be your downfall. Next time be more careful on who you include in your pool. There may be sharks." Heero concluded, appearing from apparently nowhere, startling the boy. Duo stood beside him, a large grin on his face. 

"Like us!" Jay and Nick chimed in before bursting into childish giggles. "We're sharks!" 

"You owe me money, man." Nick added. 

"Dude, we're rich." Jay giggled, hugging his friend. "*No* one expected Trowa and Quatre to be here." 

"Jay, you put in odds that they wouldn't show either." John noted with a satisfied grin. "In fact a lot of money. With interest." 

"Dumbass!" Nick hissed as he watched Jay wince. "Trowa and Quatre said they were going to show, why the hell did you bet against them?" 

"Don't yell at me!" Jay sobbed dramatically, banging his head on the table. "It was peer pressure, honest dude!" 

"Interest?" Quatre asked, looking at Jay. 

John rested a hand on Jay's shoulders. "You know what you have to do." he said solemnly. Jay nodded, stood from the booth, and slowly made his way out of the Waffle House. The group stared at John in silence. 

"There walks a brave man." John said with admiration before bursting into peals of laughter. "Sorry about the interruption, enjoy your meal, er show, or just. . . bye." 

"I don't want to know." Wufei muttered. 

"So, has everybody ordered?" Duo asked quickly, pushing Wufei's boot aside to sit in the space next to him. 

"Yeah, everyone's getting the kids meal for some insane reason." Wufei grunted, punching Duo's arm. "I ordered a ham and cheese omlette." 

"Come on Wu! They have glow in the dark stickers!" Hilde exclaimed, pointing out the prize to Heero as he sat down next to her. "See?" 

"He can see very well, woman." 

"I like things that glow in the dark." Quatre purred softly, oblivious to the fact that he was heard. 

"I know." Trowa replied, a small grin forming on his face. 

Duo laughed and dropped his menu. "Okay! Time to share!" 

Quatre looked up from his menu in surprise. "Oh! That must have sounded so bad. It's completely innocent, I swear!" he began to explain in a rush. "You see, we went to the mall last week to pick up Trowa's tux and then we stopped at Hot Topics--you know, the novelty shop--anyway, they had all these glow in the dark and blacklight clothes. So, they were having this clearance sale on glow in the dark boxers. There were none in my size, but they looked like they might fit Trowa so I said I'd buy him one. He said fine, so I grabbed two and I was like, 'Should I get the ones with the hearts on them? Or should I get the stars?' Trowa didn't say anything, but it looked like he didn't really like the heart ones so I bought the stars!" 

Quatre stopped suddenly with an sharp intake of breath, and he began to try conceal his laughter. "He's wearing them right now." 

"How do you know?" Duo leered suggestively. 

"Do not answer that question, Winner." Wufei warned. 

"Yes, please answer." Hilde insisted. "And in great detail." 

"I just asked him before we got here." Quatre answered quickly. "God, are all your minds in the gutter?" 

"Yes," Hilde answered before returning to her interrogation. "And exactly how did you ask him?" 

"Hilde!" Quatre and Wufei exclaimed. 

"Inquiring minds want to know." Duo prodded, pointing to a slightly flushed Trowa. "After seeing you whispering in Tro's ears all night, it is understandable." 

"Speaking of which, what have you been whispering to him all night?" 

"Sweet nothings." 

"Define 'sweet'." Trowa finally spoke, staring at Quatre intently. 

"Well-" Quatre trailed off as he leaned in close and whispered something in Trowa's ear. Settling back into his seat, he grinned confidently. "-sweet." 

Trowa shook his head. "Sweet my ass." he muttered uncharacteristicly, and began to toy with his glass of water. 

"You keep setting yourself up!" 

"How did I set myself up for that one?" 

"Which one?" 

"Sounds like a little sexual frustration is coming to a boil." Hilde whispered to Duo. 

"It looks like it's boiling over," he whispered back. 

"I heard that." Trowa muttered before turning to Quatre. "Let's see, 'If I dropped your pants right now, would I see stars?'" 

"Trowa!" Quatre gasped. 

"Hey, you were the one who said that, not me! You also said you'd rather have a 'sans clothes' photo instead of a formal one-" 

"Shh!" 

"And that it could be arranged-" he continued to mutter. 

"Trowa, we're in public." 

"If I behaved! Well, damnit!" Trowa exclaimed, punching the table. "I'm the king! Who said kings were supposed to behave anyway?" 

"Trowa," Quatre soothed, leaning over to whisper something in Trowa's ear. 

"I give up." Trowa muttered before standing up from the table. "WHERE'S MY DAMN COFFEE?" 

"Ummm, Quatre, that's not cool." Duo said as the group watched Trowa storm away. 

"I don't know what you said, but I think he went to punch the waiter." Wufei observed. 

"Just wait until we leave, Barton." Quatre challenged in false anger as his boyfriend returned to the booth. 

"Oh, it's on Mr. Winner." Trowa accepted in a similar tone. 

"Get a room." Hilde and Wufei muttered as their food was placed before them. At that moment, what appeared to be a tall blonde girl entered the restaurant. She wore a tight red gown that had a slit on one side that revealed a long, toned leg underneath. 

"Jay!" Nick shouted. "Why on earth did you put that dress on?" 

"The fluffy blue one didn't fit!" he yelled back in a high falsetto. Waving to his classmates, he made his way over to the group. John stood in his booth and began to sing Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" at the top of his lungs. 

"Damn, his legs look better than mine!" Hilde noted enviously. "Hey, what is it like to look like a girl?" 

"Hey John! If I kill her, I get extra credit!" Jay yelled across the room. 

"Let me guess, interest?" Heero asked, effectively removing all the sharp objects on his side of the table without Hilde's knowledge. 

"Yep." Jay grinned, sitting in his seat. "It's not all that bad, but I don't think I got the right lipstick for this dress. You don't think it's too red, do you?" 

"It's fine." Nick noted. 

"I was thinking about going for a nude tone, but my sister instisted on the red." 

"You sound like you do this all the time." Wufei said distainfully. 

"I've played female roles for a couple of shows and found it fun." Jay shrugged. "It's not easy being a transsexual." 

"Uh, I think you mean transvestite, you dumbass." Nick hissed. "And you're going to college." 

"So he got the scholarship?" Quatre asked. 

"Barely. If it wasn't that we won state this year, and he was one of the starters, they probably would have took one look at his interview and recommend him to be committed." 

"Hey, I have book smarts!" Jay protested. 

"And no common sense. You *are* the idiot savant." 

"And you?" Jay challenged. 

"Naturally." Nick said with a smile. "Athletic and academic. Full ride." 

"Tro?" 

"They're paying me to stay. Or go, or whatever it says on my contract." Trowa shrugged. 

"You don't have contracts in college." Quatre noted. 

"If I have to sign a dotted line, it's a contract. 'Intent to Attend', my ass." Trowa said irritably. "I'm leaving tomorrow." 

"For?" Jay prodded. 

"Work. The circus travels in the summer." 

"But there's two weeks of school left for the seniors." Nick protested. 

"And?" he answered. "I'll be back in time for college." 

"Finals?" 

"Took them." 

"Graduation?" 

"Not going. I already have my diploma." 

"Quatre? Are you leaving too?" Jay asked, grasping his friend's hand. 

"No, I'm going to Europe with my family this summer." Quatre answered with a laugh. 

"Hopefully you'll be back in time for camp." Duo mused as he snatched Wufei's coffee mug. 

"Camp?" Nick asked. 

"Yeah, I conned my buddy into joining Stuco. He's a shoo-in for Junior Class President. That means my senior prom's going to be the bomb!" Duo cheered, raising the mug to his lips. Wufei grinned as Duo began to gag and cough loudly. 

"You're still doing Stuco next year?" 

"Yeah, though I've got a fight for Senior Class Prez." Duo rasped, reaching for his water glass. "Salty." 

"I refuse to lose to you again, Maxwell." Wufei vowed, taking his coffee cup from Duo's grasp. 

"You lost to me too, you know." Hilde added. 

"You're not going to be in Stuco next year, and I would've beat you anyway." Wufei argued. 

"Keep believing that, sweetie." 

"Ha. Two hours, 5 mins, and 34 seconds. 'No more terms endearment'; I laugh at you." 

"Oh, you love me." Hilde stated matter of factly as she leaned forward. 

"Bite me." 

"Later." 

"Get a room!" Duo exclaimed, directing his gaze in Wufei's direction. "And you, of all people." 

"I'm touched." Wufei said. 

"By who?" Hilde asked. 

"You're not doing Stuco?" Duo asked his friend. 

"Nah, and cheerleading's lost all appeal. I'm going to try other venues, beef up my extra-curricular list for college applications." 

"Heero, any special plans for next year?" Jay asked, continuing his investigation of his friends. 

"To graduate." 

"Anything else?" 

"Not anything that I'd tell you." 

"Wufei?" 

"Since I could graduate this year, which I'm not going to." Wufei answered. "I'll go to high school part time, take a couple college courses and get a part time job." 

"At?" 

"A video store." 

"Free movies for me!" Hilde exclaimed loudly. 

"No." 

As Duo watched his friends argue, he let his mind drift and observe his surroundings. Trowa and Quatre mysteriously disappeared during Jay's interrogation, probably following up on Wufei and Hilde's suggestion. Jay had yet to notice, but Nick was holding back laughter as he saw John heading toward their direction, book in hand. Jay squeaked and slid underneath the table. 

"What did you bet this time?" Nick asked between chuckles. 

"You know that fluffy blue dress?" 

Nick froze. "You did not. . . I'm not going to wear it! Hey John! It was his bet, not mine. Come on, this is so not cool!" 

Heero observed Nick beg and plead with John until his mind began to wander. Things had changed so fast, he had yet to grasp all that was new. It would continue to change as the year ended. He had so many choices to make, so many adjustments. Duo had his fears, Heero was certain, but he knew that his boyfriend would never voice them. Boyfriend. Love. All new and so frightening. But it will never show. He would never lose Duo again. So what is he supposed to do next. He thought for another long moment when something hit him on the forehead. Looking up, he found Duo grinning at him; a straw placed firmly between his lips. 

"Bulls eye." he whispered. "Welcome back to the Waffle House." 

Picking up the crumpled wrapper on his plate, Heero returned fire, his hit landing squarely on Duo's nose. Duo sniffed and crinkled his nose. 

"You okay? You were spacing out on me." Duo asked. 

"Just thinking." Heero said. 

"Don't hurt yourself." Duo said as he stood and motioned Heero to follow. "Believe it or not, I have a curfew. Five A.M. or major trouble." 

"You know, a lot of stuff can happen in 5 hours." Hilde injected, waving to her friend. "Parents just seem to forget that little fact." 

Duo and Heero walked out of the Waffle House side by side. 

"Hey Heero?" Duo broached, walking into Heero lightly before straighting himself out. 

"Yeah?" 

"Did we eat anything?" 

"No." 

"Kind of pointless trip, huh?" Duo admitted, climbing into their limo. Heero rapped on the window pane to wake their driver, who was snoring lightly in the front seat. 

"Had its moments." he said, sitting next to Duo. 

"Like Tro losing it? That was precious. And let's not forget Jay in drag. He actually makes a cute girl if you think about it. I wonder if Nick'll wear the blue dress at school next week. I bet John's making wagers on that-" 

"Duo." Heero interrupted, placing his hand over Duo's lips. 

"Hmm?" 

"Love you." he stated, staring into Duo's wide violet eyes. He was met with silence, though he could feel the other boy smile against he palm. 

"Wuv moo tew." Duo mumbled. Heero dropped his hand, expecting Duo to repeat himself, but received a warm embrace instead. As he held Duo close, he was instantly comforted. Whatever appeared in their future, whatever problems he had, he knew Duo was there. That Duo would always love him. 

And that was enough. 

***

AN: I want to thank my OL friends Lena, Lechara, Lynn, michy and Shi-chan for their constant prodding and support. So, sequel anyone? 


	13. Author's Note

**Author's Notes (a lot of notes)**

**Music**-The songs featured in this fic, in respective order: "Movies" by Alien Ant Farm  
"Thong Song" by Sisqco (mentioned)  
"Don't Stop Until You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson  
"Do You Remember" by Michael Jackson   
"I Do" by 98 Degrees  
"A Whole New World" by Disney  
"Still in Love" by Brian McKnight  
"Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder (mentioned)   
I tried to give an eclectic feel; though I didn't throw any country or heavy metal in, if I did it probably would have been Jo Dee Messina and Metallica. 

**The Majestic**-based on actual events at my prom dinner. The staff was renamed from fav characters from anime's I've seen, but they are real. All of them (especially the waiter and bartender). The owner actually did invite himself to our table, and he did torture my date. 

**Relena's last name**-I realized in the final stages of writing this fic that I referred to Relena by both last names. While everyone seems to call her by Darlian in this fic, she is called Miss Peacecraft by Mrs. Noin. Pure accident due to laziness, but I kept it to add depth into her relationship with the principal. 

**Evil, evil Quatre**-I thought I'd leave Quatre's whispers to your imagination, but my imagination got the better of me! 

**Hilde & Wuffie, sitting in a tree**-Yes, they were dating each other in the fic, though I never really came out and said it. If you noticed in previous chapters, they seem to spend a lot of time together after school and she's the only person he allows to butcher his name. Besides, they don't seem to be the "lovey dovey" type of couple (as shown in the epilogue). They just seemed to click to me. I don't think I would *ever* pair them together in any other fic; it just worked well in my little universe. Duo and Quatre were only surprised because, like everyone else, they were too preoccupied with things to notice. 

**The Waffle House**- hehe, this was fun! Hooray for epilogues! 

**Thank youuus**-I have a lot, let me tell you. I mentioned some people in my epilogue, but I know I forgot someone. So! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and loves and hugs to all of those who have been there for me (you know who you are). You (points) and you over there (points), lets not forget you. . . ^_^   
~Anthy 


End file.
